A Bangladeshi immigrant who let off a makeshift pipe bomb close to a busy bus terminal in New York City has been convicted of terrorism charges.

The family of Akayed Ullah, accused of trying to detonate a pipe bomb in New York on Monday, has engaged the controversial civil activist group CAIR to represent it, and has used its first official statement to attack US law enforcement’s investigation.

The area was packed with commuters and holiday tourists in a city still on edge from a terror attack six weeks ago that claimed eight lives. After the blast, hundreds of commuters fled subway trains and dozens of emergency vehicles swarmed Times Square.

Akayed Ullah, 27, had a 'low-tech' explosive device attached to his body, NYPD commissioner says