Staff Reporter :
People from home and abroad have paid their deep respect to those who lost their lives in the Gulshan Holey Artisan Café attack on July 1 in 2016.
The victims’ family members and friends, foreigners, political leaders, police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officials and delegates of socio-cultural organizations on Sunday paid their respect to the victims at the attack site at road 79 in Gulshan-2 of the city .
The old premises of the restaurant, which saw the worst ever terror attack in Bangladesh’s history two years ago, was opened for four hours from 10:00am to 2:00pm to allow relatives of the victims and visitors to pay their respects.
Japan Ambassador in Dhaka Hiroyasu Izumi, Italian Ambassador in Dhaka Mario Palma, representative from Australian Embassy, RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia and CTTC unit Chief Sheikh Monirul Islam, among others paid their homage to the victims.
Besides, an Awami League (AL) delegation led by its General Secretary Obaidul Quader paid their homage to the victims around 10:25 am.
A BNP delegation led by its Vice-Chairman Major General (Retd) Ruhul Alam Chowdhury also paid respect to the victims around 1:30 pm.
Meanwhile, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia inaugurated the sculpture named Dipto Sapath around 10:30am.
The sculpture portrays Assistant Commissioner (AC) Rabiul Islam and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Banani Police Station Salauddin Khan, who lost their lives during the Holey Artisan operation on July 1, 2016.
The famous Sculptor Mrinal Haque painted the design of the portrays.
“We have made the sorrow of their death our strength,” said Asaduzzaman Mia while briefing after the inauguration of the sculpture at Old Gulshan Thana, 115, Gulshan Avenue, near Azad Mosque.
Along with Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, other police units, and elite force RAB have broken the network of militants, but still the risk remains because militancy is a worldwide problem, said Asaduzzaman.
“If the rise of militancy could not be stopped, the economic growth of Bangladesh would have stalled,” Asaduzzaman added.
Saying that the sacrifices made during the Holey Artisan attack will not be forgotten and will not go to waste, the commissioner said “We will submit the chargesheet of the case next week.”
A case was filed with Gulshan Police Station on July 4, 2016 and the police Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit took charge of the investigation.
Police found 21 people involved in the Holey Artisan attack, starting from its planning and preparation to execution. Of them, 13, including the attackers, were killed in action.
