Security has been beefed up as a special anti-terrorism court in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-arrest-two-in-connection-with-bakery-attack-1773">Dhaka</a> is set to pronounce verdict on Wednesday in the 2016 deadly terrorist attack on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/slow-turnover-at-dhaka-restaurants-one-year-after-cafe-attack-17796">Holey Artisan Bakery</a>.

Twenty-two civilians, including 17 foreign nationals, were killed after five gunmen carried out the attack in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan diplomatic enclave on July 1, 2016, Dhaka Tribune reported. Two police officers also died in the encounter before the army commandos killed the terrorists on the following day to end the siege and release the guests whom the militants took hostages inside the eatery.

Judge Md Mujibur Rahman of Dhaka Anti-terrorism Special Tribunal earlier this month set the date for pronouncing the verdict today after the arguments in the case ended. 
The prosecution lawyers hoped for maximum punishment for all the eight accused in the trial that was initiated on November 26, 2018.

One of the defence lawyers, Md Delwar Hossain, said, "The prosecution failed to prove the charges against our clients in the case, so they should be acquitted." According to the charge sheet submitted by the investigating agency - the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police - the eight accused are members of the banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

The cafe was shut down after the attack and later moved to a different location. The original building was locked down by the owners, only open to mourners on the anniversary of the attack who came to pay their respects. The incident is considered to be one of the deadliest terror attacks in Bangladesh's history.

Security has been beefed up as a special anti-terrorism court in Dhaka is set to pronounce verdict on Wednesday in the 2016 deadly terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery.

Security has been beefed up as a special anti-terrorism court in Dhaka is set to pronounce verdict on Wednesday in the 2016 deadly terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery. Twenty-two civilians, including 17 foreign nationals, were killed after five gunmen carried out the attack in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan diplomatic enclave on July 1, 2016, Dhaka Tribune reported. Two police officers also died in the encounter before the army commandos killed the terrorists on the following day to end the siege and release the guests whom the militants took hostages inside the eatery. Judge Md Mujibur Rahman of Dhaka Anti-terrorism Special Tribunal earlier this month set the date for pronouncing the verdict today after the arguments in the case ended. The prosecution lawyers hoped for maximum punishment for all the eight accused in the trial that was initiated on November 26, 2018. One of the defence lawyers, Md Delwar Hossain, said, "The prosecution failed to prove the charges against our clients in the case, so they should be acquitted." According to the charge sheet submitted by the investigating agency - the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police - the eight accused are members of the banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The cafe was shut down after the attack and later moved to a different location. The original building was locked down by the owners, only open to mourners on the anniversary of the attack who came to pay their respects. The incident is considered to be one of the deadliest terror attacks in Bangladesh's history.

Security beefed up ahead of verdict in Dhaka's Holey Artisan Bakery attack

The NIA has filed a charge sheet against Zakir Naik.

Naik has been charged with inciting youths to take up terror activities, hate speech,and promoting enmity between communities.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLASH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FLASH</a>: NIA files chargesheet against Zakir Naik; more details awaited <a href="https://t.co/ZuFTzUXFaH">pic.twitter.com/ZuFTzUXFaH</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/923493690353389568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a>: Zakir Naik has been booked under charges of Inciting youths to take up terror activities and hate speech
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/923494722060070912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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India&#39;s security agencies had zeroed in on Naik after one&nbsp;of the men involved in the 2016 attack on the Holey Artisan bakery in Dhaka said he had been influenced by his teachings.&nbsp;

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We have collected sufficient oral,documentary,technical,forensic evidence which we&#39;ve placed before court: NIA IG Alok Mittal on Zakir Naik <a href="https://t.co/cT2lI5Tsac">pic.twitter.com/cT2lI5Tsac</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/923565102992834561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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We will explore all legal options which are available to us to bring him back so that he faces trial before court: NIA IG on Zakir Naik <a href="https://t.co/k84fYWWPB7">pic.twitter.com/k84fYWWPB7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/923565628509663237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The charge sheet is 4,000-pages long.&nbsp;

Police said they would explore &quot;all legal options which are available to us to bring him back so that he faces trial before court&quot;.&nbsp;

Naik is currently abroad. He fled the country after news broke of the Dhaka terrorist&#39;s statement.&nbsp;

Naik has been charged with inciting youths to take up terror activities

The NIA has filed a charge sheet against Zakir Naik. Naik has been charged with inciting youths to take up terror activities, hate speech,and promoting enmity between communities. #FLASH: NIA files chargesheet against Zakir Naik; more details awaited pic.twitter.com/ZuFTzUXFaH — ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2017 × #UPDATE: Zakir Naik has been booked under charges of Inciting youths to take up terror activities and hate speech — ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2017 × India's security agencies had zeroed in on Naik after one of the men involved in the 2016 attack on the Holey Artisan bakery in Dhaka said he had been influenced by his teachings. We have collected sufficient oral,documentary,technical,forensic evidence which we've placed before court: NIA IG Alok Mittal on Zakir Naik pic.twitter.com/cT2lI5Tsac — ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2017 × We will explore all legal options which are available to us to bring him back so that he faces trial before court: NIA IG on Zakir Naik pic.twitter.com/k84fYWWPB7 — ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2017 × The charge sheet is 4,000-pages long. Police said they would explore "all legal options which are available to us to bring him back so that he faces trial before court". Naik is currently abroad. He fled the country after news broke of the Dhaka terrorist's statement.

NIA files charge sheet against Zakir Naik

The barring of foreigners from a popular Dhaka restaurant this week has caused frustration among some visitors, and reminded them of the security crisis in the Bangladeshi capital. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Due to Holey Artisan incident and after receiving a notice from our landlord; we are not allowing any foreigners in our restaurant. We are ashamed and pitiful from our soul for this message. Please accept our apologies and wait till further notice,&rdquo; reads the notice hanging from the gate outside the Lake Terrace restaurant in Dhaka. 
&nbsp; 
A German tourist, who was refused entry into the restaurant, told WION, &ldquo;I was never thinking about the incident in 2016 but this message reminded me and now I am a little bit more tensed.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
Many restaurant owners here in Dhaka said they are still recovering from the loss they suffered in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack on Dhaka&rsquo;s Holey Artisan Bakery that killed 20 diners, 17 of them foreigners, in July 2016. 
&nbsp; 
Some Dhaka restaurants have seen a drop in visitors of more than 20 per cent.&nbsp;

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<h5>I do not want foreigners in my restaurant if that makes my business a target for terrorists,&#39; said one restaurant owner who asked not to be named</h5>
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&ldquo;It was slow during the first couple of months (after the terrorist attack). People were scared. But after two months, people got rid of their fear. They started coming again,&rdquo; said Arif Shafique, one of the owners of Tokyo Express, a popular Japanese restaurant. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Some restaurateurs told WION they are apprehensive of a second attack, and that they do not know when or how it will take place.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I do not want foreigners in my restaurant if that makes my business a target for terrorists,&rdquo; said one restaurant owner who asked not to be named.

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A year after the audacious terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladeshis ask two questions: Are we safer today than we were a year before? And where do we go from here? (WION)
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Dhaka&#39;s restaurants have beefed up their security and screening systems so that their patrons feel safer. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;If you are inviting somebody to a space where you are responsible then you have to do as much as possible to ensure that people are safe and secure, not exclude or discriminate,&rdquo; said Ali Arsalan, one of the owners of the Holey Artisan Bakery. 
&nbsp; 
Other foreigners WION spoke to said they do not feel unsafe.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I have gone out to a few restaurants and I really enjoyed them. I live in the Gulshan area and there is a lot of security,&rdquo; said Mariko, a US tourist in Dhaka. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;I feel rather secured. I can walk freely and I don&rsquo;t feel any problem,&rdquo; said Wim, a Dutch expatriate in Dhaka. 
&nbsp; 
They say security is a global crisis and not the concern of any one country. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;I think discouraging a German national (from visiting the Lake Terrace restaurant) is an overreaction. One solitary German being refused should not determine the safety of a city or that terror still looms large,&rdquo; said Shantanu Mukherji, a security analyst in New Delhi, India. 
&nbsp; 
To think Bangladesh will have a zero-terror future would be a mistaken perception when western countries with very sophisticated intelligence and security systems are struggling to contain terror, he told WION. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;We should be mentally prepared to see one or two attacks because the sleeper cells or the terror outfits like Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh are waiting in the wings to strike,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Bangladesh&rsquo;s export revenues as of April 2017 were $6 billion short of the financial year 2015-16 which saw an earning of $34.4 billion.&nbsp;

Many foreign investors cancelled trips to and moved orders out of the country in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Overall visitors have gone down. Numbers are down by may be about 20 per cent plus based on sales and revenue. I have heard from friends in foreign companies that if 10 expats have left, only six of them have been replaced. So you can assume that there is a drop there,&rdquo; Arsalan told WION. 
&nbsp; 
Businessmen in Dhaka say it is a matter of time before confidence is rekindled in visitors, locals and foreigners alike, and much depends on how they and the government take steps to ensure their security and comfort. 
&nbsp;

Some restaurants have seen a drop in visitors of more than 20 per cent

The barring of foreigners from a popular Dhaka restaurant this week has caused frustration among some visitors, and reminded them of the security crisis in the Bangladeshi capital. “Due to Holey Artisan incident and after receiving a notice from our landlord; we are not allowing any foreigners in our restaurant. We are ashamed and pitiful from our soul for this message. Please accept our apologies and wait till further notice,” reads the notice hanging from the gate outside the Lake Terrace restaurant in Dhaka. A German tourist, who was refused entry into the restaurant, told WION, “I was never thinking about the incident in 2016 but this message reminded me and now I am a little bit more tensed.” Many restaurant owners here in Dhaka said they are still recovering from the loss they suffered in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack on Dhaka’s Holey Artisan Bakery that killed 20 diners, 17 of them foreigners, in July 2016. Some Dhaka restaurants have seen a drop in visitors of more than 20 per cent. I do not want foreigners in my restaurant if that makes my business a target for terrorists,' said one restaurant owner who asked not to be named × “It was slow during the first couple of months (after the terrorist attack). People were scared. But after two months, people got rid of their fear. They started coming again,” said Arif Shafique, one of the owners of Tokyo Express, a popular Japanese restaurant. Some restaurateurs told WION they are apprehensive of a second attack, and that they do not know when or how it will take place. “I do not want foreigners in my restaurant if that makes my business a target for terrorists,” said one restaurant owner who asked not to be named. A year after the audacious terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladeshis ask two questions: Are we safer today than we were a year before? And where do we go from here? (WION) × Dhaka's restaurants have beefed up their security and screening systems so that their patrons feel safer. “If you are inviting somebody to a space where you are responsible then you have to do as much as possible to ensure that people are safe and secure, not exclude or discriminate,” said Ali Arsalan, one of the owners of the Holey Artisan Bakery. Other foreigners WION spoke to said they do not feel unsafe. “I have gone out to a few restaurants and I really enjoyed them. I live in the Gulshan area and there is a lot of security,” said Mariko, a US tourist in Dhaka. “I feel rather secured. I can walk freely and I don’t feel any problem,” said Wim, a Dutch expatriate in Dhaka. They say security is a global crisis and not the concern of any one country. “I think discouraging a German national (from visiting the Lake Terrace restaurant) is an overreaction. One solitary German being refused should not determine the safety of a city or that terror still looms large,” said Shantanu Mukherji, a security analyst in New Delhi, India. To think Bangladesh will have a zero-terror future would be a mistaken perception when western countries with very sophisticated intelligence and security systems are struggling to contain terror, he told WION. “We should be mentally prepared to see one or two attacks because the sleeper cells or the terror outfits like Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh are waiting in the wings to strike,” he added. Bangladesh’s export revenues as of April 2017 were $6 billion short of the financial year 2015-16 which saw an earning of $34.4 billion. Many foreign investors cancelled trips to and moved orders out of the country in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery. “Overall visitors have gone down. Numbers are down by may be about 20 per cent plus based on sales and revenue. I have heard from friends in foreign companies that if 10 expats have left, only six of them have been replaced. So you can assume that there is a drop there,” Arsalan told WION. Businessmen in Dhaka say it is a matter of time before confidence is rekindled in visitors, locals and foreigners alike, and much depends on how they and the government take steps to ensure their security and comfort.

WION in Dhaka: Slow turnover at restaurants one year after cafe attack

The owner of the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka which was attacked by militants in July, Sadat Mehdi, said on Tuesday that he is keen on refurbishing the builidng into a home for his family.

The cafe which was previously operated out of the location will be opened elsewhere in the city at two locations.&nbsp;

&quot;Police have handed over the place to us on Sunday. They&#39;ve cleaned up the debris. We&#39;re now going to turn it into a residential home where we&#39;ll live,&quot; Sadat told AFP.

Sadat, who lost five friends in the attack, intends to make a statement with his move that &quot;we are not defined by terror&quot;.&nbsp;

The Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka&#39;s upscale Gulshan neighbourhood was popular with expats and the city&#39;s wealthy. Japanese and Italian diners were among the 18 foreigners who were shot and hacked to death in the July attack.&nbsp;

The Bangladeshi authorities have blamed a local Islamic extremist group for the attack rejecting claims made by the IS that is was behind the carnage. Since the deadly assault, security forces have killed at least 40 Islamist militants including a Bangladeshi-origin Canadian who police described as the mastermind of the attack.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Authorities handed over the cafe back to the owners nearly four months after the attack. He plans to refurbish it into a home for his family

The owner of the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka which was attacked by militants in July, Sadat Mehdi, said on Tuesday that he is keen on refurbishing the builidng into a home for his family. The cafe which was previously operated out of the location will be opened elsewhere in the city at two locations. "Police have handed over the place to us on Sunday. They've cleaned up the debris. We're now going to turn it into a residential home where we'll live," Sadat told AFP. Sadat, who lost five friends in the attack, intends to make a statement with his move that "we are not defined by terror". The Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan neighbourhood was popular with expats and the city's wealthy. Japanese and Italian diners were among the 18 foreigners who were shot and hacked to death in the July attack. The Bangladeshi authorities have blamed a local Islamic extremist group for the attack rejecting claims made by the IS that is was behind the carnage. Since the deadly assault, security forces have killed at least 40 Islamist militants including a Bangladeshi-origin Canadian who police described as the mastermind of the attack. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Bangladeshi siege Cafe owner 'not defined by terror'

A militant suspected to be involved in the attack on Dhaka&#39;s Holey Artisan bakery killed himself during a raid on a hideout in Dhaka, media reports quoted Bangladesh police as saying.&nbsp; 
 
The Dhaka Tribune said Bangladesh police captured three female militants from a hideout in Dhaka&#39;s Azimpur area last night, while another killed himself.&nbsp; 
 
National police chief Shahidul Hoque&nbsp;said the man was identified as Abdul Karim and was suspected of being one of the attack&#39;s planners. Reuters said he was suspected to have rented a flat for the militants who carried out the attack. 
 
Another official, Sanwar Hossain, was quoted as saying: &quot;He killed himself inside the flat so that we can&rsquo;t collect information from him through interrogation.&quot; 
 
Police said the women also attacked and wounded five officers from the counter-terrorism unit. Police said the women used&nbsp;chilli powder, explosives and knives. 
 
Police said one of the women could have been the wife of a man killed last week in a shootout. That man is believed to have trained the attackers. 
 
The July attack which left 22 of the bakery&#39;s patrons dead was claimed by Islamic State; the Bangladesh government however blamed home-grown militants for the attack. 
 
US secretary of state John Kerry, referring to the attack&nbsp;during a visit to Dhaka last month, said elements of Islamic state are &#39;&#39;connected&#39;&#39; to operatives in Bangladesh. 
 
More than two dozen suspected militants have been killed by the police since the attack.&nbsp; 
 
(WION wit Reuters)

National police chief Shahidul Hoque?said the man was identified as Abdul Karim and was suspected of being one of the attack's planners

A militant suspected to be involved in the attack on Dhaka's Holey Artisan bakery killed himself during a raid on a hideout in Dhaka, media reports quoted Bangladesh police as saying. The Dhaka Tribune said Bangladesh police captured three female militants from a hideout in Dhaka's Azimpur area last night, while another killed himself. National police chief Shahidul Hoque said the man was identified as Abdul Karim and was suspected of being one of the attack's planners. Reuters said he was suspected to have rented a flat for the militants who carried out the attack. Another official, Sanwar Hossain, was quoted as saying: "He killed himself inside the flat so that we can’t collect information from him through interrogation." Police said the women also attacked and wounded five officers from the counter-terrorism unit. Police said the women used chilli powder, explosives and knives. Police said one of the women could have been the wife of a man killed last week in a shootout. That man is believed to have trained the attackers. The July attack which left 22 of the bakery's patrons dead was claimed by Islamic State; the Bangladesh government however blamed home-grown militants for the attack. US secretary of state John Kerry, referring to the attack during a visit to Dhaka last month, said elements of Islamic state are ''connected'' to operatives in Bangladesh. More than two dozen suspected militants have been killed by the police since the attack. (WION wit Reuters)

Dhaka cafe attack suspect killed himself during raid, police say

Bangladesh police killed the deputy of the Dhaka attack mastermind during a raid on a house in the city&#39;s Rupnagar area .&nbsp; 
 
The militant, identified as the leader of the Islamic fundamentalist organisation Neo-Jama&#39;atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), had helped the mastermind Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury to plan the Holey Artisan bakery seige in Dhaka on July 1. 
 
The attack had killed 22 people, including 16 foreigners and an Indian girl. 
 
Detective Branch additional deputy commissioner Sanwar Hossain identified the deceased as &#39;Murad&#39;. He was known as &#39;Major Murad&#39; in the terrorist organisation, police&#39;s counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We raided the house on information that he had rented it,&quot; Hossain was quoted as saying by BD News. 
 
Three policemen, including the officer in charge of the nearby police station, were injured in the gunfight and were being treated at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. 
 
&quot;He (Murad) stabbed police officers when they entered the house. He died after being hit by a bullet during a scuffle that ensued when he tried to flee,&quot; the police official said.&nbsp; 
 
Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, the alleged mastermind of the attack, was killed in a house raid in Narayanganj on August 27. 
 
The Islamic State had claimed responsibility of the attack but the Bangladesh police believe that it was a home-grown Islamist organisation that carried it out.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI) 
 
&nbsp;

The militant was killed during a raid on a house in Dhaka's Rupnagar area

Bangladesh police killed the deputy of the Dhaka attack mastermind during a raid on a house in the city's Rupnagar area . The militant, identified as the leader of the Islamic fundamentalist organisation Neo-Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), had helped the mastermind Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury to plan the Holey Artisan bakery seige in Dhaka on July 1. The attack had killed 22 people, including 16 foreigners and an Indian girl. Detective Branch additional deputy commissioner Sanwar Hossain identified the deceased as 'Murad'. He was known as 'Major Murad' in the terrorist organisation, police's counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam said. "We raided the house on information that he had rented it," Hossain was quoted as saying by BD News. Three policemen, including the officer in charge of the nearby police station, were injured in the gunfight and were being treated at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. "He (Murad) stabbed police officers when they entered the house. He died after being hit by a bullet during a scuffle that ensued when he tried to flee," the police official said. Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, the alleged mastermind of the attack, was killed in a house raid in Narayanganj on August 27. The Islamic State had claimed responsibility of the attack but the Bangladesh police believe that it was a home-grown Islamist organisation that carried it out. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Deputy of Dhaka cafe attack mastermind shot dead

Islamic State has warned of repeated attacks in Bangladesh and beyond until rule by sharia, Islamic law, is established, saying in a video last week&#39;s killing of 20 people in a Dhaka cafe was merely a glimpse of what is to come. 
 
Five Bangladesh militants, most from wealthy, liberal families, stormed the upmarket restaurant on Friday and murdered customers, the majority of them foreigners from Italy, Japan, India and the United States, before they were gunned down. 
 
&quot;What you witnessed in Bangladesh...was a glimpse. This will repeat, repeat and repeat until you lose and we win and the sharia is established throughout the world,&quot; said a man identified as Bangladeshi fighter Abu Issa al-Bengali, in the video monitored by SITE intelligence site. 
 
Bangladesh has rejected the Islamic State&#39;s claim of responsibility for the Friday attack and blamed it on a domestic militant group.&nbsp;It was one of the deadliest attacks in Bangladesh, where Islamic State and al-Qaeda have claimed a series of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year. The government has also dismissed those claims. 
 
The IS video began with pictures of recent attacks in Paris, Brussels and Orlando in the United States that the Middle East-based militants have claimed. 
 
The fighter in the video, who spoke in both Bengali and English, said Bangladesh must know that it was now part of a bigger battlefield to establish the cross-border &quot;caliphate&quot; the group proclaimed in 2014. 
 
&quot;I want to tell the rulers of Bangladesh that the jihad you see today is not the same that you knew in the past,&quot; he said from a busy street in the militant group&#39;s de facto capital of Raqqa, in Syria.&nbsp;&quot;The jihad that is waged today is a jihad under the shade of the Caliphate.&quot; 
 
Though Bangladesh has rejected the IS claim of responsibility for Friday&#39;s attack, police said they were stepping up security in response to the video threat.&nbsp;&quot;We are taking this issue seriously. All our concerned units are working tirelessly,&quot; said deputy police inspector general Shahidur Rahman. 
 
Police believe the domestic Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, played a significant role in organising the band of privileged, educated young men who carried out the attack. 
 
Police have said they are hunting for six members of the group suspected to have helped the attackers. 
 
But foreign security experts say the scale and sophistication of the attack on the Holey Artisan bakery cafe pointed to some level of guidance from international militant groups.&nbsp;Officials in Dhaka said on Tuesday police commandos had mistakenly shot dead a restaurant chef during the operation to end the siege. 
 
HT Imam, a political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also said security officials had seen online warnings about an impending attack on Friday and ordered major hotels and restaurants in the neighbourhood of the cafe shut.&nbsp;But they missed the actual target, he said. 
 
(Reuters)

IS warns of repeated attacks in Bangladesh and beyond until rule by sharia, Islamic law, is established throughout the world

Islamic State has warned of repeated attacks in Bangladesh and beyond until rule by sharia, Islamic law, is established, saying in a video last week's killing of 20 people in a Dhaka cafe was merely a glimpse of what is to come. Five Bangladesh militants, most from wealthy, liberal families, stormed the upmarket restaurant on Friday and murdered customers, the majority of them foreigners from Italy, Japan, India and the United States, before they were gunned down. "What you witnessed in Bangladesh...was a glimpse. This will repeat, repeat and repeat until you lose and we win and the sharia is established throughout the world," said a man identified as Bangladeshi fighter Abu Issa al-Bengali, in the video monitored by SITE intelligence site. Bangladesh has rejected the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the Friday attack and blamed it on a domestic militant group. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Bangladesh, where Islamic State and al-Qaeda have claimed a series of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year. The government has also dismissed those claims. The IS video began with pictures of recent attacks in Paris, Brussels and Orlando in the United States that the Middle East-based militants have claimed. The fighter in the video, who spoke in both Bengali and English, said Bangladesh must know that it was now part of a bigger battlefield to establish the cross-border "caliphate" the group proclaimed in 2014. "I want to tell the rulers of Bangladesh that the jihad you see today is not the same that you knew in the past," he said from a busy street in the militant group's de facto capital of Raqqa, in Syria. "The jihad that is waged today is a jihad under the shade of the Caliphate." Though Bangladesh has rejected the IS claim of responsibility for Friday's attack, police said they were stepping up security in response to the video threat. "We are taking this issue seriously. All our concerned units are working tirelessly," said deputy police inspector general Shahidur Rahman. Police believe the domestic Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, played a significant role in organising the band of privileged, educated young men who carried out the attack. Police have said they are hunting for six members of the group suspected to have helped the attackers. But foreign security experts say the scale and sophistication of the attack on the Holey Artisan bakery cafe pointed to some level of guidance from international militant groups. Officials in Dhaka said on Tuesday police commandos had mistakenly shot dead a restaurant chef during the operation to end the siege. HT Imam, a political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also said security officials had seen online warnings about an impending attack on Friday and ordered major hotels and restaurants in the neighbourhood of the cafe shut. But they missed the actual target, he said. (Reuters)

Dhaka cafe attack a glimpse of what's coming, says Islamic State

More than a month after the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka sent shockwaves across Bangladesh, two photographs of a British citizen who was at the cafe on the fateful night have surfaced, where he is seen with one of the supected perpetrators.&nbsp; 
 
The photographs show Briton Hasnat Karim, a university teacher, and Canadian university student Tahmid Hasib, along with one of the gunmen, Rohan Imtiaz, who attacked the cafe, Bangladesh newspaper, the Daily Star, has reported. 
 
The report points out Hasnat went to the restaurant with his wife and two children, according to family members, to celebrate the birthday of one of his daughters on July 3 when the bakery was attacked.&nbsp; 
 
The assailants, however, allowed the family to leave, before the siege, said the newspaper report.&nbsp; 
 
In the photographs, the millitant and Tahmid are seen holding firearms while talking with Hasnat at the rooftop of the cafe.&nbsp; 
 
The Daily Star report underlines that Hasnat and Tahmid were granted remand on August 4 for eight days after police sought a 10-day remand for each claiming that they &ldquo;instigated&rdquo; the Gulshan caf? attackers.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The photographs show Briton Hasnat Karim, a university teacher and Canadian student Tahmid Hasib, along with alleged gunman Rohan Imtiaz

More than a month after the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka sent shockwaves across Bangladesh, two photographs of a British citizen who was at the cafe on the fateful night have surfaced, where he is seen with one of the supected perpetrators. The photographs show Briton Hasnat Karim, a university teacher, and Canadian university student Tahmid Hasib, along with one of the gunmen, Rohan Imtiaz, who attacked the cafe, Bangladesh newspaper, the Daily Star, has reported. The report points out Hasnat went to the restaurant with his wife and two children, according to family members, to celebrate the birthday of one of his daughters on July 3 when the bakery was attacked. The assailants, however, allowed the family to leave, before the siege, said the newspaper report. In the photographs, the millitant and Tahmid are seen holding firearms while talking with Hasnat at the rooftop of the cafe. The Daily Star report underlines that Hasnat and Tahmid were granted remand on August 4 for eight days after police sought a 10-day remand for each claiming that they “instigated” the Gulshan caf? attackers. (WION)

British teacher suspected of instigating Dhaka attackers seen with 'terrorist' in new photos: Daily Star

A Bangladeshi teenager who police say was a suspect in last week&#39;s deadly attack on a Dhaka cafe has died in custody, with his family insisting he was a hostage and alleging torture by security forces. 
 
Zakir Hossain Shawon, 18, a kitchen assistant at the Holey Artisan Bakery, was arrested after last week&#39;s deadly siege by suspected Islamists in which 22 people, including 18 foreigners, died. 
 
Police killed five attackers and arrested Shawon together with another man over &quot;suspicious activities&quot;, treating him as a suspect -- a claim vehemently rejected by his family, who claim he was taken hostage like other victims. 
 
He died in the intensive care unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital late Friday after five days in the clinic, police and his family said. 
 
Shawon&#39;s father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death, saying his &quot;innocent son and the main breadwinner of his family&quot; died due to torture. 
 
&quot;His whole body had marks of torture. There were marks of curdled blood in many places. One of his eyes and two knees were blackened. His wrists were blackened. It seems he was hanged by ropes tied to his wrists,&quot; Sattar told AFP. 
 
Nur Khan Liton, the head of Ain o Salish Kendra, a leading human rights group, said there were doubts about Shawon`s involvement in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group. 
 
&quot;IS has named five attackers and police have identified all five. And he was not among the five,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;If he was treated as an associate or helper of the attacker, police must present evidence or information.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Police and military representatives denied that Shawon had been tortured in custody. 
 
&quot;He was held because of suspicious activities. We did not have any opportunity to interrogate him since he was injured and hospitalised,&quot; Dhaka police spokesman Masudur Rahman told AFP. 
 
The teenager`s father said he spoke with his son hours before the July 1 carnage when Shawon called to say he had received a bonus payment for Eid al-Fitr, the largest Muslim festival.&nbsp; 
 
He had planned to travel home to celebrate the occasion with the family in Dhaka`s suburb.&nbsp;Instead his family saw him in hospital. 
 
&quot;He could not recognise me or his mother and thought we were his brother,&quot; the father said.&nbsp;&quot;He would cry out in his sleep, pleading with someone, &quot;Please don&#39;t hit me. Let me go,&quot; he added. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Parents insist on his innocence, and a human rights group say police have identified all five suspects and that he is not among them

A Bangladeshi teenager who police say was a suspect in last week's deadly attack on a Dhaka cafe has died in custody, with his family insisting he was a hostage and alleging torture by security forces. Zakir Hossain Shawon, 18, a kitchen assistant at the Holey Artisan Bakery, was arrested after last week's deadly siege by suspected Islamists in which 22 people, including 18 foreigners, died. Police killed five attackers and arrested Shawon together with another man over "suspicious activities", treating him as a suspect -- a claim vehemently rejected by his family, who claim he was taken hostage like other victims. He died in the intensive care unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital late Friday after five days in the clinic, police and his family said. Shawon's father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death, saying his "innocent son and the main breadwinner of his family" died due to torture. "His whole body had marks of torture. There were marks of curdled blood in many places. One of his eyes and two knees were blackened. His wrists were blackened. It seems he was hanged by ropes tied to his wrists," Sattar told AFP. Nur Khan Liton, the head of Ain o Salish Kendra, a leading human rights group, said there were doubts about Shawon`s involvement in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group. "IS has named five attackers and police have identified all five. And he was not among the five," he said. "If he was treated as an associate or helper of the attacker, police must present evidence or information." Police and military representatives denied that Shawon had been tortured in custody. "He was held because of suspicious activities. We did not have any opportunity to interrogate him since he was injured and hospitalised," Dhaka police spokesman Masudur Rahman told AFP. The teenager`s father said he spoke with his son hours before the July 1 carnage when Shawon called to say he had received a bonus payment for Eid al-Fitr, the largest Muslim festival. He had planned to travel home to celebrate the occasion with the family in Dhaka`s suburb. Instead his family saw him in hospital. "He could not recognise me or his mother and thought we were his brother," the father said. "He would cry out in his sleep, pleading with someone, "Please don't hit me. Let me go," he added. (AFP)

Dhaka cafe attack suspect dies in custody, family alleges police torture

A Bangladeshi teenager, who police say was a suspect in last week&#39;s deadly attack on a Dhaka cafe, has died in custody, with his family insisting he was a hostage and alleging torture by security forces.

Zakir Hossain Shawon, 18, a kitchen assistant at the Holey Artisan Bakery, was arrested after last week&#39;s deadly siege by suspected Islamists in which 22 people, including 18 foreigners, died.

Police killed five attackers and arrested Shawon together with another man over &quot;suspicious activities&quot;, treating him as a suspect -- a claim vehemently rejected by his family, who claim he was taken hostage like other victims.

He died in the intensive care unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital late Friday after five days in the clinic, police and his family said.

Shawon&#39;s father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death, saying his &quot;innocent son and the main breadwinner of his family&quot; died due to torture.

&quot;His whole body had marks of torture. There were marks of curdled blood in many places. One of his eyes and two knees were blackened. His wrists were blackened. It seems he was hanged by ropes tied to his wrists,&quot; Sattar said.

Nur Khan Liton, the head of Ain o Salish Kendra, a leading human rights group, said there were doubts about Shawon&#39;s involvement in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group.

&quot;IS has named five attackers and police have identified all five. And he was not among the five,&quot; he said.

&quot;If he was treated as an associate or helper of the attacker, police must present evidence or information.&quot;

Police and military representatives denied that Shawon had been tortured in custody.

&quot;He was held because of suspicious activities. We did not have any opportunity to interrogate him since he was injured and hospitalised,&quot; Dhaka police spokesman Masudur Rahman said.

The teenager&#39;s father said he spoke with his son hours before the July 1 carnage when Shawon called to say he had received a bonus payment for Eid ul-Fitr, the largest Muslim festival.

He had planned to travel home to celebrate the occasion with the family in Dhaka&#39;s suburb.

Instead his family saw him in hospital following the attack in Dhaka&#39;s upscale Gulshan neighbourhood.

&quot;He could not recognise me or his mother and thought we were his brother,&quot; the father said.

&quot;He would cry out in his sleep, pleading with someone, &quot;Please don&#39;t hit me. Let me go,&quot; he added. 
 
Meanwhile the country&#39;s police chief said today&nbsp;that extremists from Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a local Islamist group blamed by the government for the cafe siege, were behind a separate attack on an Eid gathering.

Bangladesh&#39;s home minister last week said the banned JMB carried out the Gulshan cafe attack despite the Islamic State group claiming responsibility.

Attackers carrying bombs and machetes killed at least three people at a huge prayer rally marking the start of the Muslim festival in the northern town of Sholakia on Thursday.

&quot;(The perpetrators) are members of JMB. They did it (the attack) in Gulshan and they also did it here,&quot; Inspector General of Police Shahidul Hoque told reporters in Sholakia.

Police have arrested one person over the Eid attack. 
 
(AFP)

'His body had marks of torture. One of his eyes, two knees, and wrists were blackened. It seems he was hanged by ropes,' his father said

A Bangladeshi teenager, who police say was a suspect in last week's deadly attack on a Dhaka cafe, has died in custody, with his family insisting he was a hostage and alleging torture by security forces. Zakir Hossain Shawon, 18, a kitchen assistant at the Holey Artisan Bakery, was arrested after last week's deadly siege by suspected Islamists in which 22 people, including 18 foreigners, died. Police killed five attackers and arrested Shawon together with another man over "suspicious activities", treating him as a suspect -- a claim vehemently rejected by his family, who claim he was taken hostage like other victims. He died in the intensive care unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital late Friday after five days in the clinic, police and his family said. Shawon's father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death, saying his "innocent son and the main breadwinner of his family" died due to torture. "His whole body had marks of torture. There were marks of curdled blood in many places. One of his eyes and two knees were blackened. His wrists were blackened. It seems he was hanged by ropes tied to his wrists," Sattar said. Nur Khan Liton, the head of Ain o Salish Kendra, a leading human rights group, said there were doubts about Shawon's involvement in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group. "IS has named five attackers and police have identified all five. And he was not among the five," he said. "If he was treated as an associate or helper of the attacker, police must present evidence or information." Police and military representatives denied that Shawon had been tortured in custody. "He was held because of suspicious activities. We did not have any opportunity to interrogate him since he was injured and hospitalised," Dhaka police spokesman Masudur Rahman said. The teenager's father said he spoke with his son hours before the July 1 carnage when Shawon called to say he had received a bonus payment for Eid ul-Fitr, the largest Muslim festival. He had planned to travel home to celebrate the occasion with the family in Dhaka's suburb. Instead his family saw him in hospital following the attack in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan neighbourhood. "He could not recognise me or his mother and thought we were his brother," the father said. "He would cry out in his sleep, pleading with someone, "Please don't hit me. Let me go," he added. Meanwhile the country's police chief said today that extremists from Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a local Islamist group blamed by the government for the cafe siege, were behind a separate attack on an Eid gathering. Bangladesh's home minister last week said the banned JMB carried out the Gulshan cafe attack despite the Islamic State group claiming responsibility. Attackers carrying bombs and machetes killed at least three people at a huge prayer rally marking the start of the Muslim festival in the northern town of Sholakia on Thursday. "(The perpetrators) are members of JMB. They did it (the attack) in Gulshan and they also did it here," Inspector General of Police Shahidul Hoque told reporters in Sholakia. Police have arrested one person over the Eid attack. (AFP)

Bangladesh cafe attack 'suspect' dies in police custody

An eerie silence pervades the restaurants and shopping malls in Dhaka&#39;s diplomatic quarter, usually teeming with well-heeled urbanites, now standing empty since the killing of 20 hostages at a popular cafe.&nbsp;Five days after the brutal siege at the Holey Artisan Bakery in the Bangladeshi capital, many establishments remain closed, with shaken residents of Gulshan too afraid to venture out. 
 
&quot;Our guest numbers have gone down dramatically so the management took the decision to keep it shut for a while,&quot; said Abdul Mazid, a guard at Meraki, a well-known restaurant in the neighbourhood. 
 
The run-up to Eid celebrations that mark the end of the holy month of Ramzan usually sees shopping malls overflowing with crowds and millions of Dollars changing hands in just a few days.&nbsp;But this year Gulshan DCC market, usually bustling with Eid shoppers ahead of the biggest festival in the Muslim calendar, stood deserted. 
 
At least five gunmen stormed the bakery on Friday evening, sparking an 11-hour stand-off with police that saw victims murdered with machetes, most of them Italian or Japanese.&nbsp;Around the corner from the site of the bloodbath, Thai restaurant Soi 71 and neighbouring Korean diner Suaron, which usually remain lively past midnight, were shuttered on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;Ours is a happening business, it&#39;s hard to believe how quiet it has become over the past few days,&quot; said Mohammad Farhan, manager of the upmarket Butlers Chocolate Cafe, where waiters were standing around. 
 
&quot;It has just turned upside down.&quot; 
 
Britain was among countries urging its citizens to avoid areas frequented by foreigners, such as international hotels, large supermarkets or clubs, while Japanese firm Uniqlo restricted non-urgent travel for employees.&nbsp;As Dhaka residents attempt to regroup, fears are mounting that the attack may herald an escalation of violence in Bangladesh. 
 
Islamist militants have been blamed for a wave of murders of foreigners, religious minorities and secular writers over the past three years.&nbsp;However, Friday&#39;s murders were on a totally different scale. 
 
&quot;I keep thinking about escape routes in our apartment and the building complex... I am too scared to be in my city any more,&quot; Dhaka-based private university researcher Shahana Siddiqui posted on Facebook.&nbsp;The revelation that the attackers were educated, well-off members of society has sparked fears that Islamism has become a fashion not confined to disenfranchised youngsters being radicalised in madrasas. 
 
&quot;Missing young men are potential moving bombs now. They can strike anywhere, any time,&quot; Mushtaq Ahmed, an entrepreneur, posted on social media.&nbsp;At a mourning ceremony for the dead at a heavily secured park in Gulshan on Monday night, some expressed fears that the weekend attack will not be the last. 
 
&quot;What we are seeing today is only the tip of the iceberg,&quot; retired Brigadier General Sakhawat Hossain, a security analyst, told the gathering.&nbsp;&quot;They came to kill and propagate their agenda. The ideology is there among our children.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The residents of Gulshan are scared to venture out, tourists have been told to avoid the country and restaurants are closed after the attack

An eerie silence pervades the restaurants and shopping malls in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter, usually teeming with well-heeled urbanites, now standing empty since the killing of 20 hostages at a popular cafe. Five days after the brutal siege at the Holey Artisan Bakery in the Bangladeshi capital, many establishments remain closed, with shaken residents of Gulshan too afraid to venture out. "Our guest numbers have gone down dramatically so the management took the decision to keep it shut for a while," said Abdul Mazid, a guard at Meraki, a well-known restaurant in the neighbourhood. The run-up to Eid celebrations that mark the end of the holy month of Ramzan usually sees shopping malls overflowing with crowds and millions of Dollars changing hands in just a few days. But this year Gulshan DCC market, usually bustling with Eid shoppers ahead of the biggest festival in the Muslim calendar, stood deserted. At least five gunmen stormed the bakery on Friday evening, sparking an 11-hour stand-off with police that saw victims murdered with machetes, most of them Italian or Japanese. Around the corner from the site of the bloodbath, Thai restaurant Soi 71 and neighbouring Korean diner Suaron, which usually remain lively past midnight, were shuttered on Tuesday. "Ours is a happening business, it's hard to believe how quiet it has become over the past few days," said Mohammad Farhan, manager of the upmarket Butlers Chocolate Cafe, where waiters were standing around. "It has just turned upside down." Britain was among countries urging its citizens to avoid areas frequented by foreigners, such as international hotels, large supermarkets or clubs, while Japanese firm Uniqlo restricted non-urgent travel for employees. As Dhaka residents attempt to regroup, fears are mounting that the attack may herald an escalation of violence in Bangladesh. Islamist militants have been blamed for a wave of murders of foreigners, religious minorities and secular writers over the past three years. However, Friday's murders were on a totally different scale. "I keep thinking about escape routes in our apartment and the building complex... I am too scared to be in my city any more," Dhaka-based private university researcher Shahana Siddiqui posted on Facebook. The revelation that the attackers were educated, well-off members of society has sparked fears that Islamism has become a fashion not confined to disenfranchised youngsters being radicalised in madrasas. "Missing young men are potential moving bombs now. They can strike anywhere, any time," Mushtaq Ahmed, an entrepreneur, posted on social media. At a mourning ceremony for the dead at a heavily secured park in Gulshan on Monday night, some expressed fears that the weekend attack will not be the last. "What we are seeing today is only the tip of the iceberg," retired Brigadier General Sakhawat Hossain, a security analyst, told the gathering. "They came to kill and propagate their agenda. The ideology is there among our children." (AFP)

Eerie silence envelopes Dhaka's diplomatic quarter, Eid celebrations dampened

Two people were arrested today in connection with Saturday night&#39;s terror attack at a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were brutally killed by suspected IS militants, as authorities stepped up the probe into the international links of the hostage-takers. 
 
Inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque, however, did not disclose the identities of either of the detainees or where they were being kept. 
 
He said they were both physically unwell and will be quizzed after their condition improves. 
 
&quot;One of them is in hospital, the other is in custody,&quot; he said. 
 
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Bangladesh Army said one terrorist was captured alive from the site of the attack. However, the identity of the suspect was not disclosed. 
 
&quot;They (attackers) may have some contact with international terrorist groups,&quot; he said. 
 
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the killing of the 20 hostages and two police officers during the 12-hour siege that ended after the army stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery, popular with expats in the diplomatic zone here, killing six attackers and capturing one alive. 
 
Hostages who were killed include 19-year-old Indian girl Tarishi Jain. Nine Italians, 7 Japanese, one American of Bangladeshi origin, and two Bangladeshis were also among the people who were killed. 
 
&quot;You have seen the pictures of the slain militants supplied to the media, we have found out the background of four of them,&quot; a senior police officer, familiar with the investigation, told PTI, preferring anonymity. 
 
The official added that all the attackers were in their 20s. Four of them came from wealthy families and studied at elite schools and universities in Dhaka and abroad. 
 
One of the slain assaulters was studying in a Malaysian university while his family said they had no idea that he returned home and took part in the attack. 
 
He said the fifth youth hailed from a village in northwestern Bogra district and studied in a madrassa, led the attackers during the Friday night&#39;s massacre. 
 
&quot;This Khairul (of Bogra) was wanted by police for the past seven months for three deadly militant attacks in northwestern region...We understand it is him who led the Holey Artisan restaurant attack on that night,&quot; the official said. 
 
Prothom Alo Khairul was missing for the past several months. Bogra police had detained his parents for questioning. 
 
One of the slain attackers, private BRAC university student Rohan Imtiaz, was the son of a leader of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina&#39;s ruling Awami League, while his mother was a teacher Dhaka&#39;s posh Scholastica School. 
 
The family reported him missing in December last year. 
 
Of the five pictures of five bodies provided by police, four appeared to be the ones seen in the photos on Facebook in which the youths were seen smiling in front of a black Islamic State flag. 
 
(PTI)

Cops said one militant is in the hospital and the other is in custody. They will be questioned once their physical condition improves

Two people were arrested today in connection with Saturday night's terror attack at a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were brutally killed by suspected IS militants, as authorities stepped up the probe into the international links of the hostage-takers. Inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque, however, did not disclose the identities of either of the detainees or where they were being kept. He said they were both physically unwell and will be quizzed after their condition improves. "One of them is in hospital, the other is in custody," he said. Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Bangladesh Army said one terrorist was captured alive from the site of the attack. However, the identity of the suspect was not disclosed. "They (attackers) may have some contact with international terrorist groups," he said. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the killing of the 20 hostages and two police officers during the 12-hour siege that ended after the army stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery, popular with expats in the diplomatic zone here, killing six attackers and capturing one alive. Hostages who were killed include 19-year-old Indian girl Tarishi Jain. Nine Italians, 7 Japanese, one American of Bangladeshi origin, and two Bangladeshis were also among the people who were killed. "You have seen the pictures of the slain militants supplied to the media, we have found out the background of four of them," a senior police officer, familiar with the investigation, told PTI, preferring anonymity. The official added that all the attackers were in their 20s. Four of them came from wealthy families and studied at elite schools and universities in Dhaka and abroad. One of the slain assaulters was studying in a Malaysian university while his family said they had no idea that he returned home and took part in the attack. He said the fifth youth hailed from a village in northwestern Bogra district and studied in a madrassa, led the attackers during the Friday night's massacre. "This Khairul (of Bogra) was wanted by police for the past seven months for three deadly militant attacks in northwestern region...We understand it is him who led the Holey Artisan restaurant attack on that night," the official said. Prothom Alo Khairul was missing for the past several months. Bogra police had detained his parents for questioning. One of the slain attackers, private BRAC university student Rohan Imtiaz, was the son of a leader of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League, while his mother was a teacher Dhaka's posh Scholastica School. The family reported him missing in December last year. Of the five pictures of five bodies provided by police, four appeared to be the ones seen in the photos on Facebook in which the youths were seen smiling in front of a black Islamic State flag. (PTI)

Bangladesh police arrest two in connection with bakery attack

A group of hostage-takers murdered 20 foreigners, hacking many of their victims to death, before six attackers were gunned down by Bangladesh commandos at the end of an overnight siege&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;at an upmarket restaurant. 
 
As the Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the carnage at the start of the Eid holiday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she was determined to eradicate militancy in the mainly Muslim nation. 
 
Survivors told of how the hostage-takers separated locals from the foreigners who were eating side-by-side before embarking on a killing spree which was brought to an end&nbsp;11 hours later&nbsp;in a fierce gunbattle. 
 
Although there was no exact breakdown of the casualties, the army said most of the slain civilians were either Italian or Japanese. Most had been slaughtered with sharpened weapons. 
 
The Japanese government confirmed late on Saturday that seven Japanese nationals in the &nbsp;hostage attack have been confirmed dead,&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Embassy officials confirmed that seven Japanese were included in the bodies sent to hospital by the Bangladesh government,&quot; Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference in Tokyo. 
 
Two Bangladeshi police officers were also killed at the start of the siege while a total of six attackers were shot dead at its finale. 
 
One of the assailants was captured alive and arrested, the army said. 
 
Hasina&#39;s government has previously blamed a string of deadly attacks, targeting religious minorities and foreigners, on her domestic opponents but the incident will heighten fears that IS&#39;s reach is spreading. 
 
&quot;It was an extremely heinous act. What kind of Muslims are these people?&quot; said Hasina in a televised address. 
 
The attack, by far the deadliest of a recent wave of killings claimed by IS or a local Al-Qaeda offshoot, was carried out in a neighbourhood which is home to the country&#39;s elite and houses many of the major embassies. 
 
Sharp weapons&nbsp; 
 
Announcing the end of the siege, officials said that 13 hostages had been rescued after members of an elite force took control of the cafe and shot dead six of the gunmen. 
 
But while Hasina called the outcome a &quot;success&quot;, the security forces later revealed that 20 of those taken captive were killed. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve recovered 20 bodies. Most them had been brutally hacked to death with sharp weapons,&quot; an army spokesman, Brigadier General Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury, told reporters. 
 
Another senior army officer then confirmed that all 20 were foreigners. 
 
&quot;All 20 of the hostages who were killed were foreigners.... Most of them were Italian or Japanese,&quot; Lieutenant Shahab Uddin told AFP without giving an exact breakdown. 
 
Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni also talked on the phone with his Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali. 
 
Foreigners and Bangladeshis could be seen standing outside the upmarket Holey Artisan Bakery cafe after the siege, still awaiting news on their loved ones inside. Commandos could also be seen roaming nearby rooftops. 
 
Witnesses recounted how a massive gunfight erupted&nbsp;on Saturday&nbsp;morning as more than 100 commandos launched the rescue operation, nearly 11 hours after the siege began shortly before&nbsp;9.30 pm. 
 
Eight hostages including a foreigner were rescued in the first few minutes of the operation. TV footage showed ambulances rushing some of those who had been freed to a military hospital. 
 
Dodging bullets&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It was a horrendous night,&quot; said Diego Rossini, an Argentine chef who managed to escape through a terrace during the siege. 
 
&quot;They (the hostage-takers) had automatic weapons and bombs,&quot; he said on Argentinian TV as he described how he eventually managed to escape into the next-door building despite coming under fire. 
 
&quot;I felt bullets pass so close to me, I felt fear like I&#39;ve never felt in my life.&quot; 
 
The father of one of the survivors was told by his son how the hostage-takers separated the locals from foreigners. 
 
&quot;They (the foreigners) were taken to the upper floor and the Bangladeshis were kept around a table,&quot; Rezaul Karim told AFP. 
 
&quot;My daughter-in-law wears a hijab. Maybe that helped save the whole family.&quot; 
 
Fierce firefight&nbsp; 
 
Heavily armed police and paramilitary guards cordoned off the area around the restaurant after the militants launched their attack and then became involved in a fierce firefight with police. 
 
Police said that two officers, including the head of the local police station were killed. Hasina said that 30 officers were injured. 
 
The attack follows a series of killings targeting religious minorities and foreigners. 
 
Earlier&nbsp;Friday, a Hindu temple worker was hacked to death in western Bangladesh and a Hindu priest was stabbed and critically wounded early&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;in the southwest of the country. 
 
The government and police blame homegrown militants for the killings, which they say are part of a plot to destabilise the country. 
 
Bangladesh&#39;s main Islamist party has been banned from contesting polls and most of its leaders have been arrested or else executed after recent trials over their role in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. 
 
Hasina called on all Bangladeshis to &quot;resist these terrorists&quot;. 
 
&quot;My government is determined to root out terrorism and militancy from Bangladesh,&quot; she added. 
 
Last month authorities launched a nationwide crackdown on local jihadist groups, arresting more than 11,000 people, under pressure to act on the spate of killings. 
 
But many rights groups allege the arrests were arbitrary or were a way to silence political opponents of the government.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The Japanese government on Saturday confirmed the death of seven Japanese nationals in the attack

A group of hostage-takers murdered 20 foreigners, hacking many of their victims to death, before six attackers were gunned down by Bangladesh commandos at the end of an overnight siege Saturday at an upmarket restaurant. As the Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the carnage at the start of the Eid holiday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she was determined to eradicate militancy in the mainly Muslim nation. Survivors told of how the hostage-takers separated locals from the foreigners who were eating side-by-side before embarking on a killing spree which was brought to an end 11 hours later in a fierce gunbattle. Although there was no exact breakdown of the casualties, the army said most of the slain civilians were either Italian or Japanese. Most had been slaughtered with sharpened weapons. The Japanese government confirmed late on Saturday that seven Japanese nationals in the hostage attack have been confirmed dead, "Embassy officials confirmed that seven Japanese were included in the bodies sent to hospital by the Bangladesh government," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference in Tokyo. Two Bangladeshi police officers were also killed at the start of the siege while a total of six attackers were shot dead at its finale. One of the assailants was captured alive and arrested, the army said. Hasina's government has previously blamed a string of deadly attacks, targeting religious minorities and foreigners, on her domestic opponents but the incident will heighten fears that IS's reach is spreading. "It was an extremely heinous act. What kind of Muslims are these people?" said Hasina in a televised address. The attack, by far the deadliest of a recent wave of killings claimed by IS or a local Al-Qaeda offshoot, was carried out in a neighbourhood which is home to the country's elite and houses many of the major embassies. Sharp weapons Announcing the end of the siege, officials said that 13 hostages had been rescued after members of an elite force took control of the cafe and shot dead six of the gunmen. But while Hasina called the outcome a "success", the security forces later revealed that 20 of those taken captive were killed. "We've recovered 20 bodies. Most them had been brutally hacked to death with sharp weapons," an army spokesman, Brigadier General Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury, told reporters. Another senior army officer then confirmed that all 20 were foreigners. "All 20 of the hostages who were killed were foreigners.... Most of them were Italian or Japanese," Lieutenant Shahab Uddin told AFP without giving an exact breakdown. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni also talked on the phone with his Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali. Foreigners and Bangladeshis could be seen standing outside the upmarket Holey Artisan Bakery cafe after the siege, still awaiting news on their loved ones inside. Commandos could also be seen roaming nearby rooftops. Witnesses recounted how a massive gunfight erupted on Saturday morning as more than 100 commandos launched the rescue operation, nearly 11 hours after the siege began shortly before 9.30 pm. Eight hostages including a foreigner were rescued in the first few minutes of the operation. TV footage showed ambulances rushing some of those who had been freed to a military hospital. Dodging bullets "It was a horrendous night," said Diego Rossini, an Argentine chef who managed to escape through a terrace during the siege. "They (the hostage-takers) had automatic weapons and bombs," he said on Argentinian TV as he described how he eventually managed to escape into the next-door building despite coming under fire. "I felt bullets pass so close to me, I felt fear like I've never felt in my life." The father of one of the survivors was told by his son how the hostage-takers separated the locals from foreigners. "They (the foreigners) were taken to the upper floor and the Bangladeshis were kept around a table," Rezaul Karim told AFP. "My daughter-in-law wears a hijab. Maybe that helped save the whole family." Fierce firefight Heavily armed police and paramilitary guards cordoned off the area around the restaurant after the militants launched their attack and then became involved in a fierce firefight with police. Police said that two officers, including the head of the local police station were killed. Hasina said that 30 officers were injured. The attack follows a series of killings targeting religious minorities and foreigners. Earlier Friday, a Hindu temple worker was hacked to death in western Bangladesh and a Hindu priest was stabbed and critically wounded early Saturday in the southwest of the country. The government and police blame homegrown militants for the killings, which they say are part of a plot to destabilise the country. Bangladesh's main Islamist party has been banned from contesting polls and most of its leaders have been arrested or else executed after recent trials over their role in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Hasina called on all Bangladeshis to "resist these terrorists". "My government is determined to root out terrorism and militancy from Bangladesh," she added. Last month authorities launched a nationwide crackdown on local jihadist groups, arresting more than 11,000 people, under pressure to act on the spate of killings. But many rights groups allege the arrests were arbitrary or were a way to silence political opponents of the government. (AFP)

All 20 hostages killed in Dhaka siege were foreigners

As diners relaxed for their evening meal on one of the last days of Ramadan, gunmen burst into the restaurant before separating foreigners from locals so they could launch their killing spree. 
 
By the time Bangladeshi commandos stormed Dhaka&#39;s Holey Artisan Bakery 11 hours later, its stone-washed white floors were a sea of blood, strewn with the bodies of foreigners who had been hacked to death. 
 
The Western-style cafe was a popular bolt-hole for expats and locals in the upmarket Gulshan neighbourhood which has long been home to the country&#39;s wealthy elite and many embassies. 
 
&#39;Armed gunmen split hostages into two groups&#39;&nbsp; 
 
On Friday night, Hasnat Karim had brought his family to celebrate his daughter&#39;s birthday. 
 
Hasnat was too traumatised to say more than a few words about his ordeal, saying only that the hostage takers &quot;did not misbehave with us&quot;. 
 
But he detailed to his father Rezaul how the gunmen -- who were armed with automatic weapons, bombs and makeshift machetes -- had split the diners into two groups. 
 
&quot;The foreigners were taken to the upper floor and the Bangladeshis were kept around a table,&quot; said Rezaul Karim. 
 
In the chaos and confusion that erupted at the start, many diners were able to scramble to safety. 
 
One man who escaped told India&#39;s ABP News channel how the gunmen chanted slogans as they forced their way past the sole security guard on the door. 
 
&quot;I rushed to alert others, some people managed to escape from a back route but the rest were trapped,&quot; he said on condition of anonymity. 
 
&quot;They made people stand in a line. There must be about 20-25 staff and about 20-25 guests and then they switched off the lights and CCTV.&quot; 
 
A heavy gunbattle ensued following siege&nbsp; 
 
Bangladesh, where around 90 per cent of the population is Muslim, has just begun a week-long holiday to enjoy the Eid celebrations which accompany the end of Ramadan. 
 
As news of the siege spread, police rushed to the scene and engaged in gunbattles with the hostage takers but they met heavy resistance. 
 
&quot;The hostage takers had automatic weapons and bombs,&quot; said Diego Rossini, an Argentinian chef who escaped into a neighbouring building. 
 
&quot;The hostages, who had escape, were hiding and police were shielding them,&quot; Rossini told Argentina&#39;s television channel C5N. 
 
Rossini managed to escape into a next-door building while under fire. 
 
&quot;I felt bullets pass so close to me, I felt fear like I&#39;ve never felt in my life.&quot; 
 
Images posted by the Islamic State group as they claimed the attack showed two bodies soaked in pools of crimson. 
 
 
Senior army officer recounts scenes of chaos 
 
A senior army officer said that all 20 of the slaughtered civilians were foreigners and nearly all were hacked to death with makeshift machetes. 
 
Several dozen people have been attacked in similar fashion by Islamist extremists in the last two years, mainly members of religious minorities. 
 
A senior officer who was part of the operation which ended the siege on Saturday morning described a gruesome scene inside the cafe. 
 
&quot;We saw blood in many places and were shocked to see the carnage,&quot; he told AFP on condition of anonymity. 
 
&quot;We heard the gang saying Allahu Akbar and there was a slogan written on the wall which said Allah would grant them Jannatul Ferdous (ultimate heaven).&quot; 
 
Among the weapons recovered from the scene were pistols, automatic rifles and sharpened machete-style blades. 
 
Apart from the slain hostages, the bodies of six gunmen were also recovered. 
 
The officer who took part in the storming said the attackers were all men in their early to mid-20s. 
 
&quot;They were wearing sneakers and pants, with multiple pockets where they kept IEDs (improvised explosive devices),&quot; said the source. 
 
 
Condolences pour in from across the world 
 
Popular for its breads and leafy garden, the Holey Artisan Bakery describes itself on Facebook as the &quot;only truly Artisan Bakery Shop between Mumbai and Singapore&quot;, with mouthwatering images of pastries. 
 
The site was deluged Saturday with messages of prayer and concern from local Bangladeshi diners and others around the world. 
 
&quot;Praying for those innocents and may Almighty curse those extremists... they can&#39;t be Muslim. These extremists are monsters,&quot; wrote a Facebook user named Siragis Salekin. 
 
(AFP)

In the chaos and confusion that erupted at the start, many diners were able to scramble to safety

As diners relaxed for their evening meal on one of the last days of Ramadan, gunmen burst into the restaurant before separating foreigners from locals so they could launch their killing spree. By the time Bangladeshi commandos stormed Dhaka's Holey Artisan Bakery 11 hours later, its stone-washed white floors were a sea of blood, strewn with the bodies of foreigners who had been hacked to death. The Western-style cafe was a popular bolt-hole for expats and locals in the upmarket Gulshan neighbourhood which has long been home to the country's wealthy elite and many embassies. 'Armed gunmen split hostages into two groups' On Friday night, Hasnat Karim had brought his family to celebrate his daughter's birthday. Hasnat was too traumatised to say more than a few words about his ordeal, saying only that the hostage takers "did not misbehave with us". But he detailed to his father Rezaul how the gunmen -- who were armed with automatic weapons, bombs and makeshift machetes -- had split the diners into two groups. "The foreigners were taken to the upper floor and the Bangladeshis were kept around a table," said Rezaul Karim. In the chaos and confusion that erupted at the start, many diners were able to scramble to safety. One man who escaped told India's ABP News channel how the gunmen chanted slogans as they forced their way past the sole security guard on the door. "I rushed to alert others, some people managed to escape from a back route but the rest were trapped," he said on condition of anonymity. "They made people stand in a line. There must be about 20-25 staff and about 20-25 guests and then they switched off the lights and CCTV." A heavy gunbattle ensued following siege Bangladesh, where around 90 per cent of the population is Muslim, has just begun a week-long holiday to enjoy the Eid celebrations which accompany the end of Ramadan. As news of the siege spread, police rushed to the scene and engaged in gunbattles with the hostage takers but they met heavy resistance. "The hostage takers had automatic weapons and bombs," said Diego Rossini, an Argentinian chef who escaped into a neighbouring building. "The hostages, who had escape, were hiding and police were shielding them," Rossini told Argentina's television channel C5N. Rossini managed to escape into a next-door building while under fire. "I felt bullets pass so close to me, I felt fear like I've never felt in my life." Images posted by the Islamic State group as they claimed the attack showed two bodies soaked in pools of crimson. Senior army officer recounts scenes of chaos A senior army officer said that all 20 of the slaughtered civilians were foreigners and nearly all were hacked to death with makeshift machetes. Several dozen people have been attacked in similar fashion by Islamist extremists in the last two years, mainly members of religious minorities. A senior officer who was part of the operation which ended the siege on Saturday morning described a gruesome scene inside the cafe. "We saw blood in many places and were shocked to see the carnage," he told AFP on condition of anonymity. "We heard the gang saying Allahu Akbar and there was a slogan written on the wall which said Allah would grant them Jannatul Ferdous (ultimate heaven)." Among the weapons recovered from the scene were pistols, automatic rifles and sharpened machete-style blades. Apart from the slain hostages, the bodies of six gunmen were also recovered. The officer who took part in the storming said the attackers were all men in their early to mid-20s. "They were wearing sneakers and pants, with multiple pockets where they kept IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," said the source. Condolences pour in from across the world Popular for its breads and leafy garden, the Holey Artisan Bakery describes itself on Facebook as the "only truly Artisan Bakery Shop between Mumbai and Singapore", with mouthwatering images of pastries. The site was deluged Saturday with messages of prayer and concern from local Bangladeshi diners and others around the world. "Praying for those innocents and may Almighty curse those extremists... they can't be Muslim. These extremists are monsters," wrote a Facebook user named Siragis Salekin. (AFP)

Diners held hostage in Dhaka tell tales of trauma and survival