Floral, candle-lit vigil held at Gulshan for cafe attack victims

Relatives and well-wishers, united in grief, have held sombre candle-lit vigil around floral tributes at Gulshan in Dhaka to mourn for the victims of Friday’s massacre that left at least 20 people dead.

They remembered the victims on Sunday at a police barricade put up near the Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen Restaurant premises where assailants slaughtered hostages taken from a multinational crowd of diners.

Security forces stormed the cafe on Saturday morning and saved 13 hostages. The authorities said six gunmen were killed and another held alive.

The victims include nine from Italy, seven from Japan and one from India. The three others are Bangladeshis, including one with US citizenship.

Several foreigners were seen taking part in the candle-lit vigil.

Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) Director Noor Khan, freedom fighter Akku Chowdhury, and one Ehtesham Huda, a friend of victim Faraaz Ayaz Hossain’s mother Simeen Hossain, were among the Bangladeshis who went to pay respects to the victims.

“The militants have shown their capability, strategy and depth of thoughts through the incident. We can’t only blame the security forces. We, the citizens, will also have to be united,” Khan said.