Bangladesh Cafe Attack: pictures of sophisticated blokes who instigated the terrorists

The Daily Star

August 07, 2016 

Dhaka attack: New pictures of Tahmid, Hasnat with terrorist emerge

Hasnat Karim (white T-shirt), a former university teacher, and Tahmid Hasib (black T-shirt), a student of Canadian university holding a firearm (red circled) in his hand, are seen talking with one of the militants of Dhaka’s Holey Artisan Bakery siege in the early morning of July 2. These photos were collected by Prothom Alo

Star Online Report

Two photographs of Hasnat Karim and Tahmid Hasib that surfaced today following the Gulshan café attack have sparked new interests.

In the photos taken from a nearby building, former university teacher Hasnat and Canadian university student Tahmid are seen talking with one of the militants Rohan Imtiaz, who attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on July 1.

The photos taken the next morning show Tahmid and Rohan carrying firearms were talking with Hasnat on the rooftop of the cafe.

Tahmid was holding a pistol and both he and Rohan were listening to Hasnat.

The photo taken the next morning on July 2, 2016, shows Tahmid Hasib and Rohan Imtiaz carrying firearms were talking with Hasnat Karim on the rooftop of the cafe in Gulshan, Dhaka. Photo: Collected

Armed militants held diners and staffers hostage in the café and later they killed 20 of the hostages -- nine Italian, seven Japanese, two Bangladeshis, one Indian and one Bangladesh-born US citizen -- and two police officers who tried to end the standoff soon after it began.    

The photo taken the next morning on July 2, 2016, shows Tahmid Hasib and Rohan Imtiaz carrying firearms were talking with Hasnat Karim on the rooftop of the cafe in Gulshan, Dhaka. Photo: Collected

Hasnat, who is also a British citizen, went to the restaurant with his wife and two children, family members said, adding they were celebrating the birthday of one of his daughters.

Hasnat Karim, wearing glasses, and Tahmid Hasib, in T-shirt, being taken to a Dhaka court yesterday. Police said the duo was arrested on suspicion that they had links with the Gulshan terror attack. The court later placed them on eight-day remand each. Photo: Prabir Das

The attackers allowed the family to leave before army commandos stormed the café to end the country's deadliest militant attack and the first-ever hostage situation.
A Dhaka court on August 4 granted eight days' remand for Hasnat Karim and Tahmid Hasib after police sought a ten-day remand for each claiming that they “instigated” the Gulshan café attackers.

The development comes more than a month after police initially took them for questioning, after the 12-hour siege ended on the morning of July 2.

They had remained missing since with their families worrying about their fate.