Hasina says tracking down Gulshan attackers only a matter of time

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Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said it is a matter of time to track down the culprits, who were involved in the cowardice attacks on a Gulshan cafe in the capital city and near the Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj district.

“As we have got support from the international community and also we are united to jointly clampdown terrorism and militancy, it won’t be very difficult to haunt down the elements involved in the dastardly attacks … it’s a matter of time,” she said.

She added: “I believe that we must arrest the culprits and give them proper punishment, Insha Allah.”

Her assertion came while replying to a supplementary raised by treasury bench member Gazi Golam Dastagir (Narayanganj-1) during her question hour in the House.

The premier said some of the terrorists who were involved in the July 1 massacre at Holey Atrisan Bakery and the July 7 attacks near Sholakia Eidgah were killed on those days.

Besides, she said, the law enforcers have been able to identify and nab some of the terrorists involved in the attacks.

Sheikh Hasina said a number of television channels and social media published the photos of several elements and some of them were already identified. “I would like to call upon the people, who will be able to identify other terrorists and give information about them to the law enforcement agencies,” she said.

The leader of the House said those who worked behind the scene and those who supplied money and arms and gave training to the culprits would be found out. “It’s the responsibility to track down the culprits whoever might be and whether they are locals or foreigners,” she said.

The prime minister said it’s beyond the imagination that such inhuman attacks would take place in Bangladesh.

She said those who perpetrated such heinous attacks do not want development and progress of the country. “It’s my belief that those launched such attacks don’t believe in Bangladesh independence which was achieved through the War of Liberation,” she said.

Denouncing again the brutal attacks, the premier said some investors who made investment in Bangladesh were killed in the Gulshan cafe attack on July 1. An Italian female investor, working in Bangladesh over 35 years, was killed in that attack, she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the Japanese nationals, working as consultants in the Metro Rail Project, were killed. “In the same way, some important persons were killed, which is very painful and regretful,” she said.

Pointing out the foreign minister’s yesterday’s speech in the House, the premier said the foreign countries strongly condemned the attacks, assuring that they would remain beside Bangladesh and extend cooperation to combat terrorism and militancy.

She, however, said such incidents are taking place across the globe–it’s a reality.

Source: Prothom Alo