Tributes paid to the slain

A cross-section of people yesterday paid tributes at a makeshift memorial near the Holey Artisan Bakery at Gulshan, mourning the victims of Friday's hostage crisis.

“Your sudden loss is never to be filled, it will always be our force to break through the darkness...Your loving memory and vibrant ambience will be the means of progress to us,” the friend of a victim, who preferred anonymity, wrote on a piece of paper attached to a wreath.

Equipped with firearms and swords, militants stormed the cafe, popular among foreigners, on Friday evening and killed 20 hostages, including nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, one Bangladeshi American and two Bangladeshis. Two police officials were also killed.

The standoff ended after 12 hours following an army-led commando operation on Saturday morning, killing six militants, according to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) briefing about the operation. One was arrested, and 13 hostages rescued, said ISPR.

Mahmuda Aktar, an acquaintance of victim Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain, laid flowers in memory of the 20-year-old.

A delegation of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) led by its President Siddiqur Rahman paid tributes around 4:20pm.

Speaking to reporters, Siddiqur said the incident would not affect the country's RMG sector.

“We have overcome the Rana Plaza incident. Hopefully this incident will not affect the RMG sector,” he said, referring to the Italian victims involved in RMG business.

Two Japanese nationals visited the spot around noon, said on-duty policemen.

Meanwhile, a family from Narayanganj's Shiddhirganj went to the incident spot, claiming that their son, Zakir Hossain, 20, had been working there as a kitchen staff for over a year, and he had been missing since Friday.

Zakir's father Abdus Sattar, said they went to the local police station and also the office of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police but could not learn about his whereabouts.