Dhaka (AsiaNews) – A suspected suicide bomber died last night near Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as he tried to get into the airport with a bomb.
According to the officer in charge of security, Nur-e-Azam Mia, "the bomb was tied to waist." He "died right away” when it exploded.
Preliminary findings indicate a link between the suicide bomber and the Islamic State (IS). On the Arabic language website Amaq, the Jihadi group claimed that one of its supporters "carried out a suicide attack" at a checkpoint near the airport.
However, for the police it was not strictly speaking an attack. The dead man "was carrying a bomb" that blew up. According to other reports, the explosive device was in a "travel bag."
The bomber was 30-32 years old, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. His identity remains unknown at the moment. Police have collected fingerprints and are in the process of determining who he was.
In a statement, the Bangladesh government said that the Islamic State does not have an organisational base in the country. The authorities blame the attempted attack on a local, recently formed extremist group, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which has been banned.
Since yesterday, the authorities have tightened security measures around the capital’s International airport.
In the past 12 years, more than a hundred people have died in terrorist attacks. Among the victims are bloggers, foreign tourists and members of religious minorities.
Bangladesh is a predominantly Muslim country, hitherto characterised by religious harmony and integration. However, extremism has grown in recent years, a threat denounced by the country’s Christian communities, fearful of new attacks.
