Dhaka attack: Police quiz family of gunman, pick up two suspects

The family of one of the six Bangladeshi terrorists killed in the July 1 night Dhaka cafe attack is being quizzed while two suspects are in custody, officials said. Families across Bangladesh are also being asked to report to authorities if any of their members are missing.

Police in Bogra, in Rajshahi in northern Bangladesh, is reported to be quizzing the family of one of the six Islamist gunmen killed in the operation to free the hostages taken during a terrorist strike at a cafe in Gulshan area of Dhaka.

The terrorist whose family is being questioned has been identified as 'Bandhon'.

Bogra Superintendent of Police Mohd Asaduzzaman told bdnews24.com that three persons were taken into custody to identify 'Bandhon'.

Mohd Imran, the local union council chairman in Shajahanpur Upazila, said the name of the person identified merely as 'Bandhon' is, in fact, Mohd Khairuzzaman, a madrasa student who has been missing for a year.

"Police have picked up his parents and brother-in-law," he said.

Another attacker, identified by police as 'Bikash', is also reportedly from Bogra.

Police identified three other attackers as 'Akash', 'Don', and 'Ripon'.

Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion has asked families across Bangladesh to report to authorities if any of their members are missing.

The request from RAB chief Benazir Ahmed on Monday came following reports that at least two of the attackers of the Holey Artisan Bakery and O' Kitchen restaurant had been missing for a long time.

In Dhaka, Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.K.M. Shahidul Hoque said that two suspects have been taken into custody over the Gulshan cafe attack in which 20 hostages, mostly foreign nationals, and two police officers were killed on Friday night.

Hoque did not disclose the identities of either of the detainees or where they were being kept while talking to media at Army Stadium in Banani, reports the Daily Star.

He said that both men were unwell and will be quizzed after their condition improves.

"One of them is in hospital, the other is in custody," said Hoque.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Bangladesh Army spoke of one attacker being held alive from the Gulshan cafe attack scene. However, his identity was not disclosed.

IGP Hoque stressed on the "success" of 'Operation Thunderbolt', the mission carried out by Bangladesh Army-led joint forces, that managed to secure 13 hostages safely out of the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe and O' kitchen restaurant, where seven terrorists stormed in shouting "Allahu akbar".

The terrorist killed all those who failed to recite Quran. Those killed included an Indian student, an American, seven Japanese and nine Italians and two Bangladehi police officials.

Hoque added that the names of the militants, who died during operation, were fake names. "We were searching for these militants for some time."

--IANS

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