Image copyright AFP Image caption Bangladeshi police officials investigate at the scene in Kaunia

A Japanese man has been shot dead in northern Bangladesh, police said, in the second killing of a foreign national in a week.

Kunio Hoshi, who worked for a farming project, was attacked in the town of Kaunia.

Islamic State (IS) militants said they had carried out the attack.

It comes days after an Italian aid worker was murdered in the capital Dhaka in an attack also claimed by the jihadist group.

The authorities have not verified the claims.

Mr Hoshi's body has been taken to a state-run hospital. An investigation is under way.

The killing of the Italian man, Cesare Tavella, prompted the US and UK to warn its citizens to be cautious.

Attacks on foreigners in Bangladesh are rare, correspondents say, but Islamist violence has surged recently, including high-profile attacks on atheist bloggers.