The Times Square bomber, a Bengali radicalized in the US
Akayed Ullah is 27 years old and comes from the Chittagong district. He entered the United States seven years ago and worked as a taxi driver. "He was radicalized by watching Islamic propaganda videos on the internet".
New York (AsiaNews / Agencies) - 27-year-old Bengali Akayed Ullah is the man who attempted to blow himself up near Times Square in the heart of New York. While investigators are working to understand his motivations, Andrew Cuomo, governor of the State of New York, has openly spoken about "a lone wolf radicalized in the United States, influenced by jihadist groups like the Islamic State".
Yesterday morning, the American metropolis was again the target of terror, just a little over a month from the attack on the Manhattan cycle path carried out by Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year-old from Uzbekistan who caused the death of eight people on October 31st, injuring another 15. Ullah attempted to blow himself up at the Port Authority Bus Terminal station at 7.30 am, during peak hours for workers and other users. It is one of the busiest bus stops in the city, where there are at least 200,000 passengers a day.
According to the videos released by the authorities, the Bengali was wearing a homemade pipe-bomb which exploded ahead of time causing injury to the attacker himself and three passersby, including a policeman, none of which are life threatening. Bill de Blasio, mayor of the city, said that "terrorists will not win". Speaking from the site, Cuomo added: "This is New York. The fact of the matter is that we are the target for many who want to act against democracy, against freedom ".
The Bengali Embassy in Washington has issued a statement in which it reiterates "zero tolerance against terrorism. A terrorist is a terrorist, regardless of his culture or religion, and must be brought to justice ". Other Bangladeshi living in the United States express their condemnation on social networks. Subir Kashmir Pereira, a Catholic, writes on Facebook: "The attack is a disgrace for my country". Abm Sabbir, a Muslim, adds: "I do not want extremists like Akayed Ullah to get heaven for their terrorist actions".
Meanwhile, more information about him is circulating in the country of origin of Ullah. Shahidul Hoque, a police inspector general in Bangladesh, said the bomber came from the southern district of Chittagong and entered the United States seven years ago, with a regular residence permit. He had never had problems with justice and until recently he led a seemingly tranquil life.
The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission reports that the Bengali has worked as a private driver of limousines and taxis from 2012 to 2015. According to US investigators, he would have radicalized himself in the US, in all likelihood "watching Islamic propaganda videos on the internet" , where he also learned how to make the rudimentary device himself.
Interviewed by Reuters, the neighbors confirm the affable and cordial nature of the man, who lived in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Windsor Terrace. Arlene Jograj, a teacher, claims to be "shocked. He was really a good person. We all know each other. We have block parties. I've been over there for dinner parties after Ramadan. We're a really tight-knit street. This is a great neighbourhood. It's very family oriented, very safe.This doesn’t change my opinion of the neighbourhood at all. This is just the state of the world we live in now ".
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