DHAKA, Bangladesh -- The cafes and restaurants are empty. The chatter of guests in hotel lobbies has gone quiet. The high-walled embassy compounds are even more closely guarded.
The recent killings of two foreigners -- an Italian and a Japanese -- have spooked tourists and expatriates in the moderate, secular South Asian nation, raising alarms about whether Islamic radicals are gaining a foothold and whether foreigners are safe.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for both killings, but Bangladesh's government denied the extremist group was involved. Instead, it accused the opposition of supporting a conspiracy to destabilize the impoverished country of 160 million -- a charge the opposition denies.
Any lost confidence in security could damage the country's economy, which relies heavily on foreign aid and investment. Hotels and shops catering to the foreign community say they are seeing losses.
"The killings are affecting our business. We had to cancel some bookings," said a five-star hotel manager in Dhaka, asking that neither she nor the hotel be identified for fear of hurting business further.
Another hotel manager, also refusing to be identified, said they have increased security staffing and video surveillance. "If there is any suspicion," he said, "our people in plainclothes are working around the hotel."
Last week's near-identical attacks on Cesare Tavella and Kunio Hoshi -- both were gunned down in daylight by motorcycle-riding youths -- stunned many in Bangladesh for targeting two foreigners involved in agricultural projects meant to help the poor. Tavella was shot in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter, while Hoshi was attacked five days later in a village 185 miles to the north.
Most of the 224,000 foreigners living in Bangladesh work for embassies, aid groups or one of the many international clothing retailers that are part of the $25 billion garment industry, a pillar of the economy. Several countries, including the U.S., the Netherlands and Spain, have asked their embassy staff to stay away from crowded places and travel in covered vehicles.
The government insists it has the situation under control, and has sent officials to reassure diplomats and pledged increased security. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has built her reputation on promises of cracking down on radicals, banning six hard-line militant groups while police arrested dozens of suspected members in recent years.
A Section on 10/10/2015