Bangladeshi shot dead in Florida robbery

A Bangladeshi national was shot dead during a robbery in Florida of the United States earlier this week, reports a local newspaper of the country.

Mustak Ahmed, 59, a convenience store clerk, was "shot and passed away" on Saturday, the online version of Sebring News-Sun reports on October 21quoting Commander Steve Carr of the Sebring Police Department.

Det Sgt Thomas Gilliard, speaking at the crime scene shortly after Saturday noon, said the robbery occurred around 6:30am (local US time).

Ahmed had been working at the store for the last three weeks and had recently moved to Sebring from West Palm Beach because of the job.

Ahmed is survived by his wife and children, reports another local news portal Florida Highlands Today on October 21.

Police described the suspect as being a black male, between 5 feet to 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a thin build and wearing a black leather or fake leather jacket with a black hoodie over his head, reports Florida Highlands Today.

The hoodie was made of cloth and is not the same material as the jacket, police said.

"It is unknown if the hoodie was attached to the jacket or if the suspect was wearing another garment under the jacket," police said on the Sebring Police Department's Facebook page.

"The suspect was wearing faded blue jeans and unknown type shoes. The suspect was also wearing red underwear or a T shirt, which was observed under the jacket, and a red bandanna was covering his face."

Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator Tim Rittenour of the Sebring Police Department at (863) 471-5108.

Crime scene tape surrounded the parking lot of the usually busy downtown convenience store throughout early afternoon as investigators continued to comb through evidence and speak with potential witnesses.

The Highlands County Sheriff's Office is assisting with crime scene processing.

A victim's advocate from the sheriff's office and a representative from the State's Attorney Office also were on scene, the news portal said.

In August 19 this year, another Bangladeshi national Shahidul Alam, 55, owner of a departmental store in Florida, was gunned down by unidentified miscreants.

Jessica Carter, an employee at the convenience store, said Monday she was at the cash register about three minutes before the robbery. After she went to cook food, she heard a gunshot and then Ahmed's scream followed by another gunshot, Florida Highlands Today says.

Carr said he could not comment on whether Ahmed was shot once or twice, it adds.

Carter said she saw that the robber was wearing a hoodie, but wasn't in a position to see anything else. As far as she knows, the robber did not know she was in the store, she said.

In the wake of the robbery, the store plans to increase the number of surveillance cameras to 20 and to enclose the cashier's area with bullet proof glass, said Jalal Ahmed, who is not related to Mustak Ahmed.