Gulshan attack: Cops to press charges against 8 ‘militants’

Police are going to press charges against eight alleged militants in a case filed over the deadly terrorist attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan on July 1, 2016, a top counter-terrorism official said today.

Among the 21 ‘identified’ perpetrators in the case, the rest 13 were excluded from the charges as they were killed in different drives by law enforcers earlier, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit (CTTC) Chief Monirul Islam told reporters just a day before the completion of second year of the massacre.

“We found involvement of 21 people in the stages of orchestration and preparations of the attack. Thirteen of them were killed in different drives with law enforcers,” he said adding “We have collected evidence and are going to press charges against eight persons, of whom two have been absconding”.

However, the CTTC chief did not mention any exact date of submission of the charge sheet, although Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia on Thursday said it will be submitted by 7-10 days.

On July 1 last year, five armed militants stormed the upscale eatery in Gulshan diplomatic zone and held diners hostage at gunpoint.

Three Bangladeshis, seven Japanese, nine Italians and one Indian were brutally murdered by the gunmen. Two police officials were also killed and 29 others injured when law enforcers in groups attempted to close in on the place.

The standoff ended through a commando operation in which the five militants -- Nibras Islam, Rohan Imtiaz, Meer Saameh Mubasheer, Khairul Islam Payel and Shafiqul Islam Uzzal -- and a café chef were killed on July 2, 2016. Another Artisan staff died in police custody later.

Tamim Chaudhury, the alleged mastermind of the attack, alongside Zahidul Islam, Tanvir Kaderi, Abu Rayhan Tarek, Sarwar Jahan, Nurul Islam Marzan, Basharuzzan Chocolate and Choto Mizan who were also allegedly involved in the stages of orchestration and preparations of the attack, got killed later in different drives by law enforcers.

Six others allegedly involved in the attack -- Rajib Gandhi, Boro Mizan Rafiqul Islam Regan, Sohel Mahfuz, Rashedul Islam alias Rash and Hadisur Rahman Sagar – are now in jail.