2 Bangladeshi nationals shot dead in US’s Buffalo

The dead were doing some repair work in the house of an expatriate Bangladeshi

Two Bangladeshi nationals were shot dead in broad daylight in the city of Buffalo in the US state of New York.

The killings took place around 12:30pm on Saturday local time on Zenner Street, according to the police.

The dead were identified as Yusuf, 58, a native of Sylhet’s Kanaighat Upazila and Babul, 36, who hailed from Cumilla. The men were doing some repair work at the house of an expatriate Bangladeshi when the incident occurred.

One of the victims died on the spot, said Motiur Rahman Litu, journalist and community activist living in Buffalo. The other died on the way to the hospital.

Following the incident, a SWAT unit was called in, and people were urged to avoid the area, reports 2WGRZ, a local media outlet.

Earlier on Friday, a 31-year-old Buffalo man was shot and killed, prompting an investigation. The incident happened shortly before 9pm Friday on the first block of Young Street, south of Broadway. He was shot multiple times and declared dead at the scene.

The Crisis Management Team of the Buffalo police cordoned the entire neighbourhood. More than 50,000 expat Bangladeshis living in Buffalo, a city near the Canadian border, were terrified due to the violence.

Local community leader Abul Bashar and journalist Motiur Rahman Litu said they would gather at 995 Fillmore Avenue on Sunday to stage a protest against the murders and demand the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

"Things like this used to happen regularly, but it has calmed down recently. We come out here and make sure the community is aware of what's going on, and try to help out families, and try to curb the violence," Murray Holman, executive director of the Stop the Violence Coalition, told the local media.

He said it was very unfortunate that Bangladeshi people, who were known for their diligence, were attacked.