Tokyo wants full probe

4-member Japan police team in Dhaka to start investigation

Japan yesterday demanded a full-scale investigation into the murder of Kunio Hoshi, who was brutally killed by unidentified assailants on Saturday in Rangpur.
Expressing deep concern over the murder, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, "Such a dastardly act should never be repeated. I feel outraged by such an act," he told reporters in Tokyo on Monday, according to AP.
“Japanese government is seeking a full investigation into the case,” he said hours before the arrival of a four-member investigation of the National Police Agency (NPA) of Japan in Dhaka to inquire into the murder of Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi.
The NPA is an agency administered by the National Public Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office of Japan and the team was dispatched to Bangladesh by the Japanese government a day after Kunio’s murder, according to the Immigration Department and Home Ministry.
Upon landing at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12 noon on Monday, the Immigration Department gave visas on arrival to senior NPA officers - Yoshitaka Yamada, Shuya Matsumura, Shigetada Furugori and Naoki Yoshikawa.
Sources said the NPA team would visit the spot where Kunio was shot dead and speak to witnesses to the killing under supervision of the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka. Sources also said that the senior officers of the team would hold extensive talks with law enforcement and intelligence agencies to arrive at a broad outline of how Kunio was murdered for presentation to the Japanese government.
A highly-placed official of the Home Ministry told The Independent that they had already provided police security to the NPA team and members of the police would escort the team wherever it went. “We are yet to know how long the NPA team will stay in Bangladesh. We are expecting them to give us their requirements on the Kunio murder investigation,” he said.
Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry Dr. Md Mozammel Haque Khan told this correspondent that they would provide all necessary assistance to the visiting NPA team. “The team members may call the police department on the matter as they are members of the NPA of Japan. We must find out the perpetrators of killings of two foreigners and the country’s law enforcement agencies will do that,” said Dr Mozammel.

Within six days - two foreigners, including Italian citizen Cesare Tavella who was working as Technical Director in Netherlands-based development organization ICCO – were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Gulshan. Kunio was murdered on September 3 at Rangpur. The IS reportedly took responsibility for the killings. The police have filed separate cases however they are yet to arrest the culprits.
On the other hand, the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka yesterday urged media persons covering Kunio’s murder to heed “three requests”. The Japanese Embassy asked Bangladeshi journalists to refrain from video filming or taking pictures of Japanese Embassy staff visiting Rangpur for telecast or publication because of security risks involved. The Embassy further asked media to avoid physical transgression of limits set by police at the murder spot for purpose of investigation and refrain from using Kunio’s pictures, especially those related to his murder. The requests only go to show the Japanese Embassy’s concerns about security and the need for a speedy investigation.
Meanwhile, more than 48 hours into the killing of the Japanese national, police are yet to identify any of the three suspects.
Contacted, Mamunur Rashid, officer-in-charge of Kawnia Police Station, declined to divulge anything on the probe and its progress, if any.
The Detective Branch of the police, meanwhile, seized the rickshaw which Kunio was riding when he was shot at.

Tokyo wants full probe

4-member Japan police team in Dhaka to start investigation

Japan yesterday demanded a full-scale investigation into the murder of Kunio Hoshi, who was brutally killed by unidentified assailants on Saturday in Rangpur. Expressing deep concern over the murder, Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, Such a dastardly act should never be repeated. I feel outraged by such an act, he told reporters in Tokyo on Monday, according to AP. Japanese government is seeking a full investigation into the case, he said hours before the arrival of a four-member investigation of the National Police Agency (NPA) of Japan in Dhaka to inquire into the murder of Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi. The NPA is an agency administered by the National Public Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office of Japan and the team was dispatched to Bangladesh by the Japanese government a day after Kunios murder, according to the Immigration Department and Home Ministry. Upon landing at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12 noon on Monday, the Immigration Department gave visas on arrival to senior NPA officers - Yoshitaka Yamada, Shuya Matsumura, Shigetada Furugori and Naoki Yoshikawa. Sources said the NPA team would visit the spot where Kunio was shot dead and speak to witnesses to the killing under supervision of the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka. Sources also said that the senior officers of the team would hold extensive talks with law enforcement and intelligence agencies to arrive at a broad outline of how Kunio was murdered for presentation to the Japanese government. A highly-placed official of the Home Ministry told The Independent that they had already provided police security to the NPA team and members of the police would escort the team wherever it went. We are yet to know how long the NPA team will stay in Bangladesh. We are expecting them to give us their requirements on the Kunio murder investigation, he said. Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry Dr. Md Mozammel Haque Khan told this correspondent that they would provide all necessary assistance to the visiting NPA team. The team members may call the police department on the matter as they are members of the NPA of Japan. We must find out the perpetrators of killings of two foreigners and the countrys law enforcement agencies will do that, said Dr Mozammel. Within six days - two foreigners, including Italian citizen Cesare Tavella who was working as Technical Director in Netherlands-based development organization ICCO were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Gulshan. Kunio was murdered on September 3 at Rangpur. The IS reportedly took responsibility for the killings. The police have filed separate cases however they are yet to arrest the culprits. On the other hand, the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka yesterday urged media persons covering Kunios murder to heed three requests. The Japanese Embassy asked Bangladeshi journalists to refrain from video filming or taking pictures of Japanese Embassy staff visiting Rangpur for telecast or publication because of security risks involved. The Embassy further asked media to avoid physical transgression of limits set by police at the murder spot for purpose of investigation and refrain from using Kunios pictures, especially those related to his murder. The requests only go to show the Japanese Embassys concerns about security and the need for a speedy investigation. Meanwhile, more than 48 hours into the killing of the Japanese national, police are yet to identify any of the three suspects. Contacted, Mamunur Rashid, officer-in-charge of Kawnia Police Station, declined to divulge anything on the probe and its progress, if any. The Detective Branch of the police, meanwhile, seized the rickshaw which Kunio was riding when he was shot at.