Holey Artisan Attack: Documents reach HC after death verdict

Documents of the Holey Artisan cafe attack case reached the High Court yesterday. The HC will use these documents to examine the court verdict that sentenced seven militants to death. 

Officials of the Dhaka court concerned gave the documents, including the judgment, to the HC, special officer of the HC Md Saifur Rahman told The Daily Star.

Officials concerned of the HC received the documents, he said, adding that HC authorities will now prepare paper books for hearing the death reference.

If a lower court sentences any person to death, its judgment is examined by the HC through hearing arguments to confirm the sentence. The case documents and judgment reach as death reference to the HC from the lower court in seven working days after the latter delivers the verdict.

A Dhaka court on November 27 sentenced seven militants to death for their involvement in the Holey Artisan Bakery attack in 2016, terming it a disgraceful attack aimed at assassinating the non-communal character of Bangladesh.

The Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal acquitted one accused as it found him not guilty in the atrocity that left 22 people, including 17 foreigners, dead in the capital’s Gulshan.

The judgment came more than three years after the country’s deadliest café siege which, according to the court, was aimed at endangering public safety and drawing attention of the international militant organisation IS.

The grisly attack followed a spate of target killings of bloggers, writers, members of religious minorities and foreigners over a span of several years.