S M Mizanur Rahman :
International community gets shocked and pledges solidarity with Bangladesh following the hostage crisis at a Spanish restaurant in capital Dhaka that claimed 28 lives on Friday night.
They also joined together in condemnation and expressed outrage of the terror attacks.
At least 28 people, including 17 foreign nationals, three locals, six attackers and two senior police officials, were killed in a Gulshan restaurant attack in the city’s diplomatic zone that also left 20 policemen injured.
Islamic State ‘commandos’ had carried out the attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi activities online. However, the claim could not be independently confirmed.
The US Embassy, South Korea and Australian High Commission in Dhaka have updated travel advises for their citizens living in Bangladesh following the terror attack. They urged their citizens to avoid the area around the restaurant at road 79 in Gulshan-2 in the city.
Besides, Japanese ‘Embassy in Dhaka cancelled Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) which was supposed to be held today (Sunday).
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and expressed his condolence for the hostage situation at Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant that claimed the lives of 28 people.
In a twitter message he said, “The attack in Dhaka has pained us beyond words. I spoke to PM Sheikh Hasina and strongly condemned the despicable attack.” Narendra Modi said India stands “firmly” with their sisters and brothers of Bangladesh in this hour of grief.
“My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that those who are injured recover quickly,” he tweeted. In another tweet, Modi said the attack in Dhaka has pained them beyond words.
The United States on Saturday expressed outrage at the brutal act of terrorism in Bangladesh and offered assistance in Bangladesh’s efforts to bring to justice those responsible for these attacks and to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
“We join with the people of Bangladesh in expressing our outrage at this brutal act of terrorism… we offer our condolences to the friends and families of the victims, including Bangladeshi law enforcement officials who have been killed or injured responding to the attack,” said Spokesperson of US Department of State John Kirby in a statement.
Regarding the link of Middle-east-based terror group Islamic State (IS) with the hostage crisis at a restaurant in Bangladesh capital Dhaka, John Kibri said, “We have seen ISIL claims of responsibility, but cannot yet confirm and are assessing the information available to us.”
“Our embassy in Dhaka has confirmed 100 per cent accountability of all official American personnel with no injuries reported. We are working with the local authorities to determine if any U.S. citizens and locally-employed staff were affected,” the statement read.
It added, “On learning of the attack our embassy issued a shelter-in-place order. This order was issued out of caution, but at no time was the embassy compound itself under immediate threat from this attack”.
The statement said that the US authorities have been maintaining contact with the Bangladesh government as the situation continues to unfold.
“We have offered our assistance in their efforts to bring to justice those responsible for these attacks and to combat terrorism and violent extremism,” the statement also read.
US President Barack Obama has also been briefed about the ongoing attack at a restaurant in Bangladesh, the White House has said.
“The President asked to be kept informed as the situation develops,” a White House official said.
Japanese government spokesman said that a Japanese hostage was rescued with a gunshot wound but seven others are unaccounted for.
A top official of Japan in Tokyo said on Saturday of the eight Japanese citizens who were taken hostage by gunmen at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, one was rescued.
Japan was unable to contact the seven, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda told reporters.
The eight are employees of private firms engaged in a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) construction project.
The man who was rescued was shot and was being treated at a hospital, Hagiuda said, adding he was in stable condition.
Japanese officials in Dhaka had met with the man, whose name is being withheld. JICA had earlier said it was unable to contact eight Japanese workers in the country as of Saturday afternoon and was working to confirm their locations.
Separately, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina over phone. She told Abe that 13 people were rescued including three foreigners, Hagiuda said.
The restaurant where the gunmen had been holed up is located near the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka. According to the Japanese Embassy, 906 Japanese were living in Bangladesh as of October 2015.
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said an Indian girl named Tarushi was among hostages who were killed after suspected Islamist militants attacked a cafe in the Bangladeshi capital on Friday night.
“I am extremely pained to share that the terrorists have killed Tarushi, an Indian girl who was taken hostage in the terror attack in Dhaka,” Swaraj tweeted.
“I have spoken to her father Shri Sanjeev Jain and conveyed our deepest condolences. The country is with them in this hour of grief,” she said in another tweet.
Indian girl is believed to be killed in the terror attack on a Dhaka restaurant on Friday night.
Visa is being arranged for Tarushi’s family to visit Bangladesh, Swaraj confirmed in another tweet.
Security forces shot dead six of the hostage-takers and one was detained, officials said, and added two policemen were also killed in the operation.
Italy’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, Mario Palmer, said seven Italian nationals were among the hostages. “It is a suicide attack. They want to carry out a powerful and bloody operation and there is no room for negotiation,” Palma said.
An Italian Foreign Ministry source said one Italian was in the cafe garden when the attack began. He was able to phone the Italian Embassy, whose staff contacted local police who were able to save him. The seven Italians taken hostage all work in fashion, the source added.
Condemning the terrorist attack on a Spanish restaurant in Dhaka, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on Saturday said his country is always with Bangladesh.
Tshering Tobgay also lauded the Bangladesh government for taking prompt and strong actions to end the hostage crisis and said through this, a message is sent that the government would not tolerate terrorist activities under any circumstance.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister came up with the condemnation and remarks when he made a call on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid at Taj Tashi Hotel, where the President is staying during his four-day visit.
