A court in Dhaka has scheduled the verdict in the case over the 2016 terror attack on an upmarket cafe in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave, which left 22 people dead, including foreigners and police officers.
On Sunday (Nov 17), Dhaka Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal Judge Md Mujibur Rahman fixed Nov 27 to deliver its verdict after concluding the trial following arguements by the defence and the closing statement by the prosecution.
On the night of Jul 1, 2016, a group of five young gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant at the upscale neighbourhood of Dhaka's Gulshan and took all the people inside them hostage.
Two police officers died after being injured in bomb blasts carried out by the attackers when they had approached the eatery. The militants killed 20 hostages, 17 of them foreigners, throughout the night.
Middle East-based terror group Islamic State had reportedly claimed credit for the attack, but security officials say banned militant outfit Jamaa'tul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was behind the deadly siege.
After a 12-hour siege, army commandoes stormed the restaurant on Jul 2 morning and rescued 13 hostages.
All five gunmen were killed during the counterstrike.
The attack served as a wake-up call regarding militancy in the country and forced a significant change in Bangladesh.
Two years after the attack, on Jul 23 2008, Dhaka metro police's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit identified 21 suspects connected to the attack and submitted charges against the eight living suspects.
The 13 others accused in the case were killed during various security force operations and were recommended to be dropped from the case.
According to the chargesheet, neo-JMB militants had planned the attack for six months. Their intention was to create ‘unrest’ in Bangladesh and transform it into a ‘terrorist state’.
The trial began on Nov 26 last year with the indictment of the eight suspects.
Six of the accused, Jahangir Alam alias Rajib Gandhi, Rakibul Hasan Regan, Rashedul Islam alias Rash, Sohel Mahfuz, Mizanur Rahman alias Baro Mizan and Hadisur Rahman Sagar, are in police custody.
Suspects Shahidul Islam Khaled and Mamunur Rashid Ripon have been tried as fugitives to justice.