Holey Artisan charge sheet within 10 days

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) will submit the charge sheet of the case filed over the terror attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery within the first week of July.

“The investigation is at its final stage… we are expecting to submit the charge sheet within next 10 days,” DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said yesterday.

The attack at Holey Artisan Bakery was a massive conspiracy against the state, he said while addressing reporters during a briefing at his office.

On July 1, 2016, armed militants stormed the upstate café located in Gulshan diplomatic zone in the capital, and took several people hostage.

The standoff ended in a military operation codenamed “Operation Thunderbolt” which lasted for 13 hours. The terror attack left 20 hostages, mostly foreigners, and two police officers dead.

“We have laid emphasis on finding out the real culprits so that no innocent people get punished,” said the DMP chief.

“Many of the accused were killed in different gunfights, many are under arrest and some are absconding,” he added.

The masterminds of the attacks, arms suppliers and financiers of arms have been identified, the police boss said.

The commissioner, however, refused to disclose details of the suspects and said all details will be mentioned in the charge sheet.

Investigators said they have so far found involvement of 21 people in the incident.

Of them, five were killed on the spot and eight others in separate drives by law enforcers.

Seven persons including a former private university teacher have been arrested over the incident. Among them, six suspected militants confessed to their involvement.

On June 24, a Dhaka court asked CTTC unit to submit its probe by July 26 in the case.

This was the 19th extension for filing the probe report.