Dhaka: Denouncing the killing of an Italian citizen in the capital, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said the incident has happened due to a serious slide in the country’s law and order situation.

‘An Italian citizen was killed by criminals in the city on Monday. We strongly condemn it. We think such an incident has taken place for lack of political space and serious deterioration in the law and order situation,’ he said.

Talking to reporters at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he further said, ‘We think ensuring the security of foreigners is one of the important responsibilities of the government. We also denounce the government’s failure to ensure the security of the slain foreigner.’

After nearly nine months, Fakhrul went to the BNP office at about 11:00am and talked to journalists about the country’s law and order situation and some other issues.

The BNP acting secretary last visited the party office in the last week of December 2014. Later, he had been arrested on 6 December and released on bail from jail on 14 July this year.

Miscreants gunned down Italian citizen Cesare Tavella, 50, on Monday evening in the city’s Gulshan area.

The BNP leader demanded the government immediately arrest the killers of Tavella and mete out exemplary punishment to them.

He also called upon the government to remain more alert in ensuring the security of foreigners.

As his attention was drawn to Prime Minister’s remark that a BNP leader might have link to the Italian citizen murder, Fakhrul said it has become the current regime’s regular practice to try to avoid its responsibility for anything bad by shifting blame onto others.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday evening at Bangladesh Permanent Mission in New York, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, ‘Haven’t I observed suspicious activities of a BNP leader after the murder of the Italian national? I think the clue of the murder would be found if the BNP leader is interrogated. I’ll take measures on my return home.’

He said when a government fails to run the country and ensure good governance it resorts to blame-game to shirk its responsibility.

‘Some ministers are saying there’s existence of militancy here while some others are contradicting it. This contradictory situation has been created for lack of democracy and failure to keep the law and order under control,’ the BNP leader observed.

To get rid of it, Fakhrul said a democratic atmosphere must be created and a pro-people government must be installed in the country.

Asked about his health condition, the BNP leader said, ‘I’m still undergoing treatment and I’ll have to go abroad again for follow-up medical check up.’

On 21 September, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir returned home after taking medical treatment abroad for nearly two months.