GULSHAN ATTACK SUSPECT Hasnat sent to jail as 16-day remand ends

The lone arrestee in theGulshan café attack case, Hasnat Karim, was sent to jail as his remand period ended yesterday.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ahsan Habib passed the order after Humayun Kabir, an inspector of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit and investigation officer of the case, produced Hasnat before the court on completion of his eight-day remand in the second phase.

The court fixed August 24 for the hearing on a bail petition filed by Hasnat, a former teacher of a private university.

In yesterday’s forwarding report, the IO said Hasnat had given important information about the terror attack, which investigators were verifying. So, the arrestee should be kept in jail until the investigation is completed, he added.

Earlier in the day, Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told reporters at his office that police would not seek fresh remand for Hasnat for some time.

“The information we got from Hasnat during his two-term remand is being scrutinised,” he said.

The law enforcers will seek remand for him in future if necessary, Masudur added.

Hasnat was shown arrested on August 13 in the case linked with the murders of 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, in the terror attack.

Earlier on August 4, former North South University teacher Hasnat and Canadian university student Tahmid Hasib among the survivors of the July 1 attack were taken on remand for eight days.

Hasnat was again remanded for eight days. Tahmid was sent to jail on Saturday after completion of his remand for 14 days in two phases.

On July 1, armed militants stormed Holey Artisan Bakery at the diplomatic zone in Dhaka’s Gulshan area and killed nine Italians, seven Japanese, two Bangladeshis, one Indian and one Bangladesh-born US citizen. Two police officers were also killed.

Source: The Daily Star