BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today expressed satisfaction over the verdict of the Holey Artisan café attack case saying that he is happy with the verdict.

“We welcome the verdict. We hope, we all will remain alert so that such type of incident cannot take place again in the country,” Fakhrul said while addressing a programme at the National Press Club in Dhaka this noon.

Showing a cause of emergence of the militancy, Fakhrul said such type of insurgent attack takes place when people’s democratic rights are curbed.

Claiming that the militant insurgency has been destroying the human civilisation, Fakhrul said the government has pushed the country, during its 10 to 12 years of administration, at a situation that can never be called a democratic one.

“Design to turn the country into an utterly undemocratic and failed one has almost been drawn,” Fakhrul said.

Fakhrul said Awami League Presidium Member Mhammed Nasim has criticised BNP as the party did not come up with any comments soon after announcement of the verdict in the Holey Artisan café attack case.

“It is not right. We first made a call to form a national unity soon after the Holey Artisan café attack to deal with the issue strong handedly,” he said.

Seven men were sentenced to death by a Dhaka court on Wednesday, for their roles in the July 1, 2016 attack on an upscale café in the heart of the diplomatic quarter which left 22 people, mostly foreigners, dead.

Dr Shamaruh Mirza, daughter of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, has been honoured with Australia's most prestigious – "Australian of the Year" -- award.

The award was handed over at National Gallery of Australia around 11am local time today (November 9, 2022).

Last year's winner Luke Ferguson and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr handed over the award to Shamaruh.

Dr Shamaruh told The Daily Star over phone that, "It's not like that I alone have gotten the award. Our organisation 'SiTara's Story' and everyone associated with it received the award. This honour is also for the people of Bangladesh."

"I think such a big achievement adds to our responsibility and reminds us that we have a lot more to do," she said.

Shamaruh Mirza is a medical scientist. Since 2006, she has been living in Canberra, the capital of Australia.

The "Australian of the Year Award" is a programme of the National Australia Day Council. The nation presents this award each year to recognise the services and achievements of well-known Australians who serve as role models for all citizens. They challenge themselves to help develop an inclusive, resilient Australia, and they serve as an inspiration for the country through their achievements.

The "Best Australians of the Year" are chosen from 32 states and territories by the National Australia Day Council Board. On the eve of Australia Day in Canberra, the names of national award recipients were announced to end this year's prestigious event.

A Dhaka court has issued summons against three BNP leaders, including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, asking him to appear before it on July 14 in a case filed on charge of instigating students for creating anarchy during movement for road safety in 2018.

Two others are BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and its standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ashek Imam on June 12 passed the order after accepting the probe report submitted by an inspector of Tejgaon Police Station.

On August 6, 2018, AB Siddique, president of Jananetri Parishad, a pro-Awami League organisation, filed the case against them with the Court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate HM Toaha.

During that movement on August 4, a reported audio clip of a telephonic conversation between Amir Khasru and an unknown person over intensifying the ongoing student movement went viral on Facebook and YouTube.

After an investigation, Mohammad Sentu Miah, an inspector of Tejgaon Police Station and also the investigation officer of the case, on February 6 of 2019 submitted the probe report.

In the probe report, the IO said that the charges brought against the three leaders were primarily proved and they should be brought under trial for their alleged involvement with instigating students for creating anarchy during road safety.

The students took to the streets after Dia Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib, students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College, were killed as a Jabal-e-Noor bus ploughed through a crowd while competing with another bus of the same company on Airport Road on July 29 of 2018.

On December 1 of 2019, another Dhaka court sentenced two drivers Masum Billah and Jubayer Sumon and helper Asad Kazi of Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan to life imprisonment in a case filed over deaths of the students.