Govt says 2 Bangladeshis killed in NZ terror attack

Bangladesh has clarified that two of its nationals have been killed in terror attack at two mosques in New Zealand on Friday.

"Ten Bangladeshis were affected [by the attacks]. Two of them died and three others are missing," State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told the media today.

Forty-nine people were killed in terror attacks at two mosques during Jum'a prayers in Christchurch.

Shahriar said Bangladeshi nationals Lipi, Motasser, Md Omar Faruk, Shahjada Akter, and Sheikh Hasan Rubel were injured. "Lipi and Motassif are critically wounded," he said.

Mozammel Haq, Shaon and Zakaria Bhuiyan are missing, the state minister added.

Shahriar, however, did not name the two Bangladeshis killed in the attacks.

"The government will provide all the assistance to bring the bodies back if their families want," he said.

Bangladesh Honorary Consul Shafiqur Rahman Bhuiyan told UNB in the afternoon that five Bangladeshis had been "missing" and named them as Dr Abdus Samad, Hosne Ara, Mozammel, Omar Faruk, and Zakaria.

But on the day of the attack, he said, three Bangladeshis were among those killed.

"There hasn't been any official confirmation," Bhuiyan said today, adding that they were yet to receive any body or information from the New Zealand government. "So, how can we say they are dead?"

He also clarified that they got "incorrect information" about Dr Abdus Samad's wife. "She didn't die in Friday's attack. She's fine," he said.