DHAKA: Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Police filed charge-sheet against eight of the 21 suspects, who were identified to be involved in the Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery militant attack in 2016. 

The charge-sheet was submitted to a Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (CMM) on Monday afternoon (July 23).

Earlier at a press conference in DMP media center, CTTC chief Monirul Islam said a total of 13 out of the 21 accused were killed at different times and charges were pressed against the rest 8 accused who are alive. Of the eight accused, six are in prison and two are still absconding. 

The charge-sheeted accused are- Rajib Gandhi, Mizanur Rahman alias Boro Mizan, Rakibul Hasan Rigan, Sohel Mahfuz, Hadisur Rahman Sagar, Rashed Islam alias Abu Zarra alias Rajesh, Shariful Islam alias Khaled and Mamunur Rashid alias Ripon. Of them, Shariful and Ripon are absconding.

Hasnat Karim, a North South University teacher who was one of the hostages and later detained, has been relieved from the charges since, the police said, there was no evidence of his complicity with the attack

The 13 identified deceased suspects are- Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, Nurul Islam Marzan, Tanvir Quader, Major (Rtd) Zahidul Islam alias Murad, Raihan Kabir Nanak, Sarwan Jahan Manik, Basharuzzaman alias Chocolate and Mizanur Rahman alias Choto Mizan. They were killed in different police drives after the militant attack.

On the other hand, Rohan Ibne Imtiaz, Mir Sameh Mobassar, Nibras Islam, Shafiqul Islam alias Ujjal and Khairul Islam alias Payel were killed during the Operation Thunderbolt of army in Holey Artisan café.

On July 1 in 2016, militants rushed into the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan with heavy weapons and took all the men and women inside captive. Later at night, Task force launched fierce raid where twenty people including foreigners and two police officials were killed.

BDST: 1715 HRS, JULY 23, 2018
AP/SMS