DMP Detective Branch forms another team to back Cesare Tavella murder probe

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) has formed a second team to support the committee formed by the Police Headquarters for investigating the murder of Italian citizen Cesare Tavella at Gulshan.

The first supporting team was formed on Tuesday night along with the main one-member committee that is headed by DB’s Joint Commissioner Md Monirul Islam.

The 11-member second team, comprising officials of different units of police, was formed on Wednesday, the Police Headquarters said in a media statement.

DMP Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muntasirul Islam told bdnews24.com that DB’s DC Mahbub Alam would lead that team, members of which include another DC and four additional DCs.

He hoped the supporting teams would help catch the killers very soon.

Criminal Investigation Department Special Superintendent Md Rezaul Haider is heading the first supporting team.

The committees were formed after DB’s Dhaka city (north) unit was tasked to lead the case’s investigation on Tuesdayafternoon.

Tavella was shot dead at Gulshan-2, Dhaka’s diplomatic zone, on Monday evening. He was shot thrice from close range, forensic examination revealed.

Tavella was the project manager of the Netherlands-based NGO’s Profitable Opportunities for Food Security programme.

His colleague Helen Vender Bik filed a case against several unknown assailants over the murder on Tuesday morning.

Several hours after Tavella’s murder, jihadist threat monitoring portal SITE Intelligence Group said the Islamic State had claimed responsibility.

The Bangladesh government has, however, said that the involvement of IS in the murder was yet to be officially confirmed.

The Italian national’s murder took place two days after the Australian cricket team decided to delay its tour to Bangladesh after their government warned of possible militant attacks on ‘Australian interests’.

After Australia, the UK and the US claimed to have received information that militants might target their interests in Bangladesh and advised their citizens to limit their movements in the country.