Surveillance beefed up ahead of Holey Artisan verdict

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner Monirul Islam on Monday said law enforcement agencies have strengthened surveillance and intelligence gathering activities ahead of the verdict on the Holey Artisan Bakery terror attack case. 

The verdict will be delivered on Wednesday. 

Monirul, also chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the DMP, informed the media about their preparations during a press briefing held at the DMP media centre.   

"Five of the Neo-JMB members, who directly took part in the Holey Artisan attack, were killed on the spot," he said, adding that eight of its planners were either killed during police raids or committed suicide. 

Eight more were arrested for their involvement in the attack and are now in prison, he said. 

"Ahead of the verdict, we are maintaining our intelligence gathering network to avoid any untoward situation and to ensure that the vested group cannot make any attempt to free the accused," he added. 

The CTTC chief also mentioned that various militant groups are still active in cyberspace. 

"We managed to arrest three members of the Neo-JMB who attacked police this year," said Monirul. 

This group carried out five attacks. Police are trying to catch the remaining two members of the cell involved in the attack, he further said.  

"We have monitored their actions and are trying to bring them under the legal process," the CTTC chief added. 

The militants carried out an attack in the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, Dhaka on the night of July 1. They killed at least 25 people, including foreign nationals and two policemen. 

Five of the militants were killed during a raid conducted by law enforcers and members of the armed forces. 

Following the attack, police filed a case with the Gulshan Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act. 

On July 23 last year, police submitted the charge sheet to the chief metropolitan magistrate of Dhaka, accusing eight people for the attack.

Last week, the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal of Dhaka set November 27 as the date for delivering the verdict in the case. 

Police hope for exemplary punishment 

CTTC Chief Monirul Islam hopes that an exemplary punishment will be meted out to the accused in the Holey Artisan attack.

"I have said this before that the investigation into the Holey Artisan attack was complicated because five people who directly participated in the attack were killed. Many died in gunfights with law enforcement agencies during arrests," he said. 

"The masterminds behind the attack – Tamim Chowdhury, Major (dismissed) Zahid, among others – were killed in various police raids. 

"Nevertheless, we have tried to submit a thorough and objective charge sheet by analysing all the information we had. Based on facts and evidences, we have been able to prove the allegations in the court," he said. 

In addition to the Holey Artisan attack, charge sheets in most of the terrorism cases have also been submitted, added. 

"We have submitted the charge sheet for the Panthapath attack," he said, adding, "The trial of all these cases will end as fast as the Holey Artisan case."