Dhaka: The hardline Islamist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the murder of an Italian citizen in Bangladesh, says SITE Intelligence Group, a portal tracks online activity of Jihadi organisation.

Cesare Tavella, who was aged around 50 and working at a Netherlands-based non-governmental organization, was gunned down in Dhaka’s Gulshan area on Monday while on his evening walk, said Muntasirul Islam, spokesman for Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Islamic State in an online statement said its attackers followed him and shot him dead.

Gulshan police sub-inspector Mizanur Rahman said the foreign NGO official was found lying in a pool of blood at the end of Road No-90 at Gulshan-2 at about 6:30pm. 

A group of 3-4 young men rescued him and took him to nearby United Hospital where doctors declared him dead, said Mizanur Rahman.

Police said they were not aware of the IS’s claim, which could not be independently verified.

Witnesses said Tavella had been followed before he was killed. ‘Three men riding on a motorbike shot him and fled,’ one witness told reporters.

The government in Bangladesh has been tackling Islamist groups who aim to make the South Asian nation of 160 million people a sharia-based Islamic state.

The Australian cricket team has delayed its planned departure to Bangladesh after being warned by its government that there was a potential security risk from militants.

The touring side were due to fly from Sydney on Monday morning for the three-week tour which includes two test matches.