Eight JMB militants charged with murder of Japanese farmer

Dhaka: Eight militants from Bangladesh's terror group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) have been charged with the murder of a Japanese farmer who was shot dead in the country last year.

Hosi Koniyo, 66, who was headed to an agriculture farm on the outskirts of northern Rangpur city in a rickshaw, was shot thrice in the chest, shoulder and hand on October 3 last year. He died on the spot.

Though international terror outfit Islamic State was quick to claim responsibility, the government had refuted it.

A frequent visitor to Bangladesh, Koniyo had been in Rangpur for the past six months and was familiar in the neighbourhood because of his philanthropic work.

He had set up the farm, where he visited daily by a rickshaw, with the help of a local businessman to grow grass for cattle.

Following the incident, police had arrested five people including Hoshi's business partner Humayun Kabir Hira.

Multiple interrogations of these five people showed JMB's involvement, bdnews quoted police as saying.

These five have are now lodged in Rangpur Central Jail. Three are absconding.

The militants were charged as the country reels under the killing of 20 people, most of them foreigners from Italy, Japan, India and the US. The country has blamed homegrown terror group JMB for the cafe siege.