Police on Tuesday said security forces may have shot dead a hostage by mistake during the storming of Holey Artisan Bakery on Friday, believing he was one of the attackers.
Saiful Islam, a senior police official in Dhaka, said Saiful Islam Chowkidar, 40, a pizza maker at the Artisan, was among six men who were killed by the police on Saturday when officers stormed the eatery to end a 12-hour siege.
A scene of carnage was revealed after joint forces carried out ‘Operation Thunderbolt’ at the bakery where its patrons, including many foreigners, had been taken hostage by terrorists on Friday night.
Islamic State has claimed the attack and released photos of five men, which have been matched with the identities of five Bangladeshi young men. At least four of them were killed in the operation.
Saiful’s photo is not among the five.
A proprietor of the bakery told the Dhaka Tribune he was employed over a year and was a cheerful and model employee. Married, with two daughters and another child on the way, Saiful was known by his neighbours as a good man, his cousin. Therefore his family and employers were surprised when the police released five pictures of the dead attackers, which included a picture of him dressed in chef’s whites.
Police had been silent about his identity so far. The dead body is being kept at the Combined Military Hospital and while the remains of all other hostages have been released, Saiful’s family are yet to see his.
Source: Dhaka Tribune