Dhaka court clears Canadian student of cafe terror attack charges

A Dhaka court on Wednesday cleared Canadian university student Tahmid Hasib Khan, who was arrested as a suspect in the July 1 cafe terror attack, of all charges two days after he was granted bail.

However, former private university teacher Hasnat Karim, the only other detainee caught over the incident, remains as key accused of the case filed over the terrorist attack that left 23 people, mostly foreigners, dead.

On a plea by the Investigation Officer, Hasanat has been also cleared in the case, but he still remains a suspect as he is an accused in the anti-terrorism case filed by police.

Tahmid, who secured bail on October 2, appeared before the court at Wednesday's hearing, but police had not produced Hasnat.

The two were present during the 12-hour-long siege at the Holey Artisan Bakery and detained on suspicion, before Hasnat was shown as an accused.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Nur Nabi passed the order after Humayun Kabir, an inspector of counter terrorism unit and investigation officer, appealed for clearing Tahmid.

The court, however, was yet to hear another plea by police, where it has accused Tahmid of concealing information.

Hasanat and Tahmid were among the 13 hostages freed from Holey Artisan Bakery and O' Kitchen early on July 2 following the terror carnage of the preceding night.

All of the freed hostages were interrogated and released after questioning, police said. But Tahmid and Hasanat did not return home. Their families alleged that police were holding them in custody.

The duo were arrested from different places on August 3. Hasanat was shown arrested in the Gulshan attack case but Tahmid was not charged in the case.

Some of the photos of the attack disseminated on social media show Tahmid carrying a gun in company with Hasanat and Rohan Ibn Imtiaz, one of the attackers killed in the commando operation, Bdnews24 reported.

The family said Tahmid, pursuing studies at a university in Canada, had returned to Bangladesh the day before the attack and had gone to the eatery to meet his friends.

Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, the suspected cafe attack mastermind killed in a raid in Narayanganj last month, was also from Canada.

--IANS

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