Two foreigners killed in Bangladesh worries business community

Oct 15, 2015 (LBO) - Two foreigners killed in Bangladesh has caught the attention of the international community with foreign business executives reconsidering their visits to Bangladesh. Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella and Japanese farmer Kunio Hoshi were both shot dead in similar style attacks a few days apart. Previously, attacks on foreigners were rare in Bangladesh. The militant group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for both attacks, although the government is downplaying this possibility. Media reports said that business executives from clothing giants H&M Inditex and Gap canceled trips to Dhaka this month, United States and Canada asked their diplomats to restrict movements, and Australia said it was cancelling a cricket tour. The government has accused its domestic political opponents for the attacks as an attempt to show them in a bad light. The garments industry, at the centre of the economy employing around 4 million people, may suffer as a result. It is going through a massive safety overhaul after the collapse of the Rana Plaza in 2013 which killed more than 1,100 workers.