Police on Monday pressed charges against eight people in the sensational Holey Artisan café attack case.
Monirul Islam, chief of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, came up with the information at a press briefing at the DMP headquarters.
“We have completed investigation into the sensational attack on Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery, which took place two years back on July 1 night of 2016. After all the formalities, including approval from the home ministry, we have sent the charge-sheet to the court,” he said.
Involvements of 22 people were found in the attack. Among them, 13 people were killed in gunfights during anti-militant drives across the country in different times, said the CTTC chief.
Five of the militants, who took part directly in the attack, were killed during commando operation inside the Gulshan café. They are—RuhanImtiaj, Nibrash Islam, Meer Sami Mobasher, Khairul Islam Payel, and Shafiqul Islam Ujjal, he said.
Of the other militants, Tamim Chowdhury was killed in Naryangonj during operation by the CTTC, Sarwar Jahan was killed during Rab’s operation in Ashulia, Marjan during operation by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police in the city’s Mohammadpur, Tanvir Quaderi during operation by the CTTC at Azimpur, Maj (retd) Jahid by the CTTC at Rupnagar, Basharuzzaman Choklet and Choto Mijan were killed during an operation in Chapainawabganj district and Abu Raihan Tarek was killed during an anti-militant operation in the city’s Kalyanpur.
Among the eight charge-sheeted accused, he said, six are now in jail and the rest two are absconding.
The six people in jail are Jahangir Alam alias Rajib Gandhi, Mahmudul Hasan Mijan, SohelMahfuz, Rashidul Islam alias Ryash, BoroMijanand Hadisur Rahman Sagor. The two absconding accused are —Mamunur Rashid Ripon and Shariful Islam Khaled.
In the investigation, it has been found that the militant group had planned the attack six months ahead of its execution. Their aims were to make the country unstable as well as turn the country into a militant country, said Monirul.
“We have included the names of a number of employees of the Holey Artisan Bakery, who gave information during interrogation, as depositions in the charge-sheet. We have sent various samples to the USA for forensic report. We have already received the report, which was also sent to the court as Alamat,” the CTTC chief said.
He said it needed much time to complete the investigation as all of the five militants, who directly took part in the attack, were killed on the spot.
Besides, many of the militants, who were involved in the incident, were killed during anti-militant drives. That is why, it took time to complete the investigation, Monirul explained.
Replying to a question, the CTTC chief said there was no name in the First Information Report (FIR) when the case was filed with Gulshan Police station. A number of people were detained after the incident. Among them, only the oneswho have been proved to be involved in the attack, are shown as accused in the charge-sheet after the investigation, he added.
As the former North South University teacher HasnatKarim was not found guilty in the case, he has been relieved from the case, Monirul said.
None of the hostages, who were rescued alive from inside the Holy Artisan café through commando operation, mentioned the name of HasantKarim. Neo JMB was involved in the attack from beginning to end. Even, 211 people, including 149 witnesses, who gave statements, did not mention HasantKarim’s name, Monirulsaid adding that 75 alamats were sent to the court.
Replying to a question, the CTTC chief said the investigators did not find any involvement of international militant organization like IS, HizbutTahrir or other foreign organizations with the members of the Neo JMB. “However, if we could arrest Tamim Chowdhury or TanvirQuaderi alive, then we might have gotten any information regarding it,” he added.
Twenty-two people — nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, one Bangladeshi-born American and two Bangladeshis — were killed in the terror attack on the restaurant on July 1, 2016.
source:UNB
