Staff Reporter :At least 20 persons, including 10 police personnel, were injured when a gang of armed Islamist militants blasted grenades and opened fire indiscriminately inside a jam-packed restaurant in the city’s Gulshan diplomatic enclave on Friday night.Four persons, including officer-in-charge of Banani police station Salahuddin Ahmed Khan, were reportedly killed in the gun attack. Besides, several people, including 20 foreigners, were kept hostage there by the attackers. Members of the law enforcement agencies, including police, RAB, BGB and Ansar kept cordoned the spot till the time of filing of this report at 11:45 pm. Of the injured, the condition of Additional Police Commissioner Ahadul Islam and two other policemen was stated to be critical. They were rushed to Dhaka Medical College and other hospitals.According to witnesses, a gang of 5-6 armed miscreants, believed to be members of a militant outfit, suddenly entered, a Spanish eating house, Holy Artisan Bakery Restaurant at Road no-79 at about 9:15 pm. They opened fire and blasted grenades shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’. Director General of RAB Benjir Ahmed said: “A gang of four miscreants took control of the restaurant. There were several customers including foreigners. We got a picture of inside the restaurant getting information from those who have managed to come out of the restaurant.”Replying to a query, the RAB Chief said, “We’re trying to establish a contact with the offenders. We want to talk with them ….We want to know what their demand is. We are trying to solve the crisis peacefully. Every life is important to us.”On the other hand, Supervisor of Artisan Bakery Restaurant Suman Reza told the newsmen that 8-10 armed militants entered the restaurant all in a sudden. “One of them was carrying a sword and others were equipped with modern firearms and explosives. They at first carried some blank shots shouting Allahu Akbar. I and another employee who is an Italian citizen managed to come out jumping from the rooftop.”He said four of their staffs are foreigners. Of them, one Argentinean was missing. Sources said, the militants at first locked the main gate of the restaurant and then started firing bullets indiscriminately from their automatic firearms. The restaurant is usually visited by foreigners and affluent business persons of the city. The armed hooligans were locked in a fierce gun battle with the police when teams of five nearby local police stations rushed to the spot to tackle the situation. The entire area turned into a battle field after the police and miscreants both sides started trading gunfire. Panic gripped the residents of local area when miscreants blasted grenades one after another Deputy Commissioner of Police [Gulshan Zone] Mostaque Ahmed said: “The miscreants taking position inside a restaurant opened fire targeting policemen. Two police personnel and a pedestrian were injured in the fire. They were rescued and sent to DMCH.”The DC said that the terrorists have taken shelter in a clinic near when the number of law enforcers increased in the area. Duty Officer of Gulshan Police Station Zahid Hossain said that the incident took place at a restaurant near Lake View Clinic adjacent to Gulshan -2 crossing at about 9:15 pm. “A police team has been sent to the spot. It’s still not clear what is going on,’ he said. Some witnesses staying near Nordic Club said they heard sound of around 50 bullet fire.”We don’t understand what was happening there. We heard sound of bullet fire one after another from lake side,” said a pedestrian who was crossing the area at that time. Police rushed to the spot after half an hour of the incident. Sources said that police have put barricades to block the roads towards Gulshan circle-2. Huge contingents of law enforcers, including RAB, have been employed at different points of Gulshan to tackle further untoward situation. Meanwhile, the US embassy in Dhaka in a twitter message asked their citizens to stay inside their homes and remain alert over the hostage situation.
