Former Johns Hopkins University student among Japanese killed in Bangladesh terror attack

One of the seven Japanese among the 28 people killed in the July 1 terror attack and siege at a Gulshan cafe was a former graduate student of Johns Hopkins University.

Koyo Ogasawara did his master’s in geography and environmental engineering from the prestigious institution in 1997, according to Hub, its online publication.

The armed militants stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen restaurant and took the Japanese development aid workers and engineers hostage among others.

Twenty hostages, nine of them Italian, two police officers, the bakery's chef, and five militants were killed when army commandos ended the standoff.

The Japanese were consultants on a project for the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the government’s aid agency.

According to The Japan Times, 56-year-old Ogasawara was of Tokyo-based construction consulting firm Katahira & Engineers International.

“He was a veteran valued by his company as someone who had the qualities of a leader," it said.

The newspaper said, “he was well liked and respected by his juniors, whom he took good care of, people from his firm said. His projects focused on Asian countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines”.

Ogasawara came to Bangladesh on June 20 and was scheduled to return home on Tuesday, according to the company.