Dead chef Saiful among six accused in Dhaka cafe attack case

Police have accused six persons, including Holey Artisan Bakery chef Saiful Islam Chowkider, in a case over the attack on a cafe at Gulshan, in Dhaka.

The five others accused in the case are Meer Saameh Mubasheer, 19, Rohan Ibne Imtiaz, 20, Nibras Islam, 20, Khairul Islam Payel, 22, and Shafiqul Islam Ujjal, 26.

After getting the First Information Report (FIR) on Wednesday, Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Rani Chakrabarty ordered the police to submit the investigation report by Aug 24.

Gulshan Police Station Inspector Md Salauddin Mia had said on Monday midnight that five had been named and many unidentified persons had also been accused in the case.

On Tuesday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan also said five had been accused.

But the FIR submitted to the court on Wednesday showed six names, with Mubasheer’s being the first on the list of accused and Saiful’s the sixth.

Though Middle East-based Islamic State has reportedly claimed credit for the attack that left at least 22 killed, plaintiff SI Ripon Kumar Das has named banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and other organisations affiliated to the JMB.

On Friday evening, a group of gunmen attacked the cafe in Dhaka’s diplomatic district Gulshan.

Two police officers tried to enter the cafe but were killed by grenades hurled by the militants, who had taken several people, mostly foreigners, hostage.

Security forces stormed the premises of Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen on Saturday morning.

The Army said 13 hostages were freed, while six attackers were killed, and another captured alive.

Twenty hostages, including 17 foreigners, were found slaughtered.

Police published photos of the five dead gunmen on Saturday night, after the police chief said his force had been looking for them for some time.

Of five photos, one was found to be that of pizza-maker, Saiful.

Police in Bogra identified two others as Kahiruzzaman and Ujjal.

Reuters news agency on Tuesday said, citing a police officer, that the army commandos might have killed Saiful, a hostage, by mistake.

Home Minister Kamal also said five among the dead attackers were militants.

Asked why Saiful had been accused, plaintiff Ripon Kumar Das told bdnews24.com to contact him later.

DMP's counterterrorism unit chief Monirul Islam only told reporters, "Saiful Islam was seen with the group of militants."