Staff Reporter :
Father of Shariful Islam Khaled, who has been sentenced to death for his role in a heinous attack in the city’s Holey Artisan Cafe, has claimed his son innocent.
Md Abdul Hakim, a retired high school teacher from Bagmara in Rajshahi, gave his reaction after the verdict in Holey Artisan Cafe attack case was delivered. He came to the court premises but could not enter inside. Later, he heard his son was given capital punishment that shocked him heavily. “My son did not do any wrong and he is innocent. He was convicted of false allegation,” he said, adding that they will move the High Court for justice.
“Shariful was the third year student in English department of Rajshahi University (RU) when he was arrested in the case. “My son is not involved with militancy” Hakim insisted.
Dhaka Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal Judge Md Mujibur Rahman on Wednesday delivered the verdict in Holey Artisan Cafe attack case sentencing seven accused to death.
The court acquitted another accused Mizanur Rahman alias Baro Mizan of the charges.
Militants killed 20 innocent people, most of them foreigners, in the grisly attack in Holey Artisan Bakery in city’s Gulshan area on July 1, 2016. Two police officials valiantly laid down their lives while trying to save people there. Later, five militants were killed in a commando operation.
Police, however, filed the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Gulshan Police Station.
