Police were questioning family members of five attackers who stormed an upscale restaurant in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone and killed police officers and hostages before they were fatally shot by security forces over the weekend, an officer said Wednesday.
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Zakaria said Pakistan has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Dhaka and “expressed solidarity with the government and the brotherly people of Bangladesh and offered condolences and sympathised with the families of the victims”.
While talking to journalists at Rajarbagh Police Line, IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque, however, did not disclose the identities of the detainees or where they were being kept.
“They are all highly educated young men and went to university”.
Among the mourners at a ceremony held yesterday in a Dhaka stadium was Mr Muksedur Rahman, who described slain Italian textile trader Nadia Benedetti as a “great human being” who worked in Bangladesh for over 20 years helping Bangladeshi survivors of acid attacks.
Police closed major hotels and eateries in and around hotel Westin, about 1km from the Holey Artisan Bakery and O’Kitchen, the restaurant that was attacked, he said.
“Six members of JMB have been shown as accused in the case”.
The fact that the attackers sought to inflict mass causalities and targeted a prominent cafe in one of the capital’s most secure areas – home to diplomatic residences – indicates that militants are growing in ambition and confidence. “We were searching for these militants for some time”.
“There is no evidence of foreign links”.
“By holding innocent civilians hostage at gunpoint, they want to turn our nation into a failed state”, she said. Most of the victims were hacked with machetes before around 100 commandos entered the building, killing six of the militants and capturing a seventh, after a 12-hour standoff, police said. Two other Bangladeshis were also among the hostages slaughtered.
Foreign diplomats offer their tribute to the victims of the attack.
Police did not clear the issue. Khan though said he was only a suspect, adding that.
Of the five pictures of five bodies provided by police, four appeared to be the ones seen in the photos published by SITE in which the youths were seen smiling in front of a Islamic State black flag.
At least three of the gunmen were from wealthy, liberal families who had attended elite Dhaka schools, in contrast to the usual Bangladeshi militant’s path from poverty and a madrassa education to violence. Authorities said security forces, civilians and some hostages were injured but have not given details.
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“She (Tarishi) had just left Bangladesh and gone back home with her parents and the PM (Hasina) told me that she is deeply distraught and she wanted me to convey condolences to our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), External Affairs Minister (Sushma Swaraj) and she said that we will be resolute in the fight against terror”.
