Bangladesh in denial, al-Qaeda releases new video of gay rights activist's assassination

Even as the Bangladesh police dismiss the claims of al Qaeda-affiliated Ansar al Islam behind the twin murders in Dhaka, the militant group released a new video showing graphic images of gay rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Tanay Majumder, lying in pool of blood in the former's apartment. The video comes three days after Ansar al Islam released a statement claiming responsibility for the murders of 'pioneers of practicing and promoting homosexuality in Bangladesh.'

Released online on Ansar al Islam Bangladesh's Twitter account on Friday, the video once again reiterates the killing to be the work of al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The video merges clips of international news media which extensively reported on the incident — Mannan was a USAID employee and US authorities including Secretary of State John Kerry and the ambassador of Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat expressed outrage over his death — with graphic images of Mannan and Tanay's bodies being dragged along a pool of blood in his apartment. The video indicates that the assailants had time to capture the ghastly images on film after the killings and flee in time.

The killing was carried out on Monday evening when a group of men posing as courier guys entered the building in Kalabagan area in Dhaka where Mannan resided. Security guard Parvez Mollah, first encountered the men who inquired about Mannan's flat for delivering a packet. Around four men, clean shaven and carrying backpacks are believed to have entered the flat and attacked Mannan and Tanay with machetes. Another three men were guarding the building gate. They all left firing gun shots and attacking Parvez with knives.

Mohammad Iqbal, Officer in Charge, Kalabaghan police station where the case is registered, told dna, that the police reached the building on time and encountered the men as they were escaping. "They were getting out of the building and running. Some of them had pistols and were firing. We were very close to catching them but they escaped," he said, adding that the assailants have been on the move since the killings but the Dhaka police are close to catching them

In Mannan's house police found few documents left behind by the assailants including the list of targets the group is likely to attack. "It has no names, just the kind of targets," Iqbal said. The document, 'Who's Next ?' is being circulated by Ansar al Islam on social media listing out eight criteria — those who insult the Prophet, oppose Islamic Sharia, intentionally misrepresent Islam — in short 'every apostate and enemies of Islam.'

Since last year, AQIS and the Islamic State group have been desperately trying to make their presence recognised in Bangladesh, which has been announced as a new operating ground for the jihadist groups. Both groups have claimed responsibility for a series of beheadings, killings and attacks on bloggers, activists, the minority community and on foreign nationals.

(The video released by Ansar al Islam on Friday -- https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChM-LhJWwAAXMc3.jpg)