Bangladesh condemns US attack in which citizen is suspect

DHAKA: Bangladesh's government condemned an attack on New York City's subway system, as it emerged that the suspect is an immigrant from the South Asian nation.

"Bangladesh is committed to its declared policy of 'Zero Tolerance' against terrorism, and condemns terrorism and violent extremism in all forms or manifestations anywhere in the world, including Monday morning's incident in New York City," the government statement said in a statement.

Police in Bangladesh said today that they were not in a position to comment on the suspect, identified by US authorities as Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant. Ullah is accused of strapping a crude pipe bomb to his body and detonating it during rush hour Monday in an attack in which only he was seriously wounded.

Ullah arrived in the United States in 2011 and the Department of Homeland Security said he's a lawful permanent resident of the US who was living in Brooklyn. He came to the US on a visa issued to him based on a family connection to a US citizen.

Law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation said Ullah had looked at Islamic State group propaganda online and told investigators he was retaliating against US military aggression, but had no direct contact with the group. The people spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the blast.

Ullah's family in the US said in a statement that it was heartbroken and deeply saddened by the suffering the attack has caused.