BNP chief Khaleda calls for all-party response to crush extremism

Condemning the terror attack at a restaurant popular among foreigners in Dhaka, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has called the government to initiate an all-party effort to crush ‘extremist forces.’

In a statement, the former prime minister thanked the security forces for neutralising the attack, the first of its kind in Bangladesh where foreigners were held hostage.  
 
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi read out the statement at media briefing on Saturday.
 
Khaleda described the murderous attack by gunmen at the Gulshan eatery as ‘blind violence and animal cruelty.’ 
 
Seven gunmen barged into the Holey Artisan Bakery at the Gulshan diplomatic zone around 8:45 on Friday night and took the guests inside hostage.
 
Witnesses said the attackers shouted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great) on their way in and started firing blanks before taking the guests inside hostage.
 
Police moved in soon after leading to an exchange of fire, in which two police officers died.
 
The hostage standoff ended almost 12 hours later after army commandos initiated ‘Operation Thunderbolt’ on Saturday morning to free the hostages.
 
The army said that they rescued 13 hostages and found bodies of 20 foreigners inside the restaurant, who they said were slaughtered with sharp weapons late Friday night, hours before security forces moved in.
 
It also said that one of seven the gunmen was captured alive while the rest were killed.