DHAKA: Bangladesh security forces killed three Islamist militants last week, including a Bangla-born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, who allegedly masterminded the cafe attack in Dhaka last month. Monirul Islam, head of the Dhaka police counter-terrorism unit said the militants were cornered in a hideout on the outskirts of the capital and were killed, the police said.
The Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the assault on the cafe situated in a posh neighbourhood of the capital where the militants singled out non-Muslims and foreigners, and killed Italians, Japanese, an American and an Indian.
Chowdhury, 30, was identified as its national commander by the IS. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said, "According to our evidence we are now sure that Tamim was among the three killed. So the chapter of Tamim has ended here. He said the dead militant was one of the main suppliers of funds and arms for several recent attacks. The raid was conducted after the landlord of the house were the militants were staying, tipped the police. He said the militants had called themselves businessmen in the medical trade. Tamim had returned to Bangladesh in October, 2013 via Abu Dhabi, A K M Shahidul Hoque, the inspector general of police, said. The raid followed a tip off from the landlord of the house where the militants were staying, Hoque told reporters. The landlord said the militants had described themselves as businessmen in the medical trade.
Police have also been holding in detention two men who had been among the survivors of the attack on the restaurant. Hasnat Karim, holds dual British and Bangladeshi citizenship, and Tahmid Hasib Khan, a student of Toronto University, had been dining separately in the restaurant. A lawyer for Karim, a 47-year-old engineer, has said his client is innocent. Relatives of Khan, 22, say he is innocent too. Earlier this month, security forces arrested four women suspected of being members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh.
