Police list more suspects besides ex-NSU teacher Hasanat, Tahmid

Apart from former North South University teacher Hasanat Reza Karim and Tahmid Hasib Khan, there are few other suspects the police is seeking to interrogate over the Gulshan cafe attack.

Dhaka police commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia told journalists on Tuesday.

Supervising security arrangements at the Eidgah Maidan, he said Hasanat and Tahmid are already under interrogation. 

"But there are a few others we have listed for interrogation. We are in the process of picking them up."

But he refused to disclose the identity of these other suspects in the 'interest of investigations.'

The government had said on Saturday after the army assault ended the hostage crisis that 20 including 17 foreigners have been killed by the terrorists at the Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen in Gulshan on Friday night.

It said six terrorists were killed in the army raid, one was captured alive.

Twenty-seven people including 13 survivors of the hostage crisis were taken to Detective Branch but were, let off after their statements were recorded.

But on Monday, a Detective Branch official told bdnews24.com that two of these thirteen survivors were still in their custody for further questioning -- one a retired professor of North South University Hasanat Reza Karim  and one Tahmid Hasib Khan, 22.

Mia said six terrorists have been killed, but one of them was yet to be identified.

Tahmid, son of businessman Shahriyar Khan, says he was in the cafe with his friends for Iftar while Hasanat Karim claims he was in the cafe with his family to celebrate his daughter's birthday.

Media reports indicate Hasanat Karim had been relieved of his job at North-South University for alleged links with the radical Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir.

One of the terrorist killed by the army in the cafe was Nibras Islam, also a student of North South University.

The Dhaka police chief said the Counter Terrorism unit of city police was investigating the terror attack.

Asked whether the police have got any leads after questioning Karim or Tahmid, the police chief said the matter was under investigation.

"I can only say we are determined to bring all those who support these terrorists, finance them and shelter them will be brought under purview of investigation."