Slain officer Rabiul's family satisfied with cafe attack verdict

The widow of Detective Branch of police’s assistant commissioner Rabiul Karim has expressed satisfaction over the verdict delivered in the case filed over the 2016 Holey Artisan terror attack in Dhaka.
Rabiul was killed when he tried to stop the gunmen who had stormed the upscale cafe at Gulshan and rescue hostages on the evening of July 1, 2016.
Talking to the Bangla Tribune on Wednesday (Nov 27), soon after a Dhaka court pronounced the judgment, Umme Salma also urged immediate execution of the verdict — which confirmed that seven militants will have to walk the gallows for their roles in the attack.
“We expected that those involved in the attack would get exemplary punishment, and our expectation has been met,” she said.
“Now, we hope the verdict will be upheld in the higher courts and swiftly executed,” Salma added.
Talking to reporters outside the court in Dhaka, Rabiul’s brother Shamsuzzaman Shams made similar demands.
He said, “We have felt the pain we experienced since the night of the attack. But after this verdict, it has lessened to some extent.
“We are happy that justice has been served.”
Rabiul's mother Karimunnesa broke down in tears at her village home after the court delivered the verdict.
“I was waiting for this day,” she told to reporters. “I want swift execution of the verdict.”
She said the family became helpless after the death of her son.
“I cordially thank the prime minister, ministers, and police administration for standing by me in my difficult time,” she added.
Salma said it was unfortunate Rabiul did not get to know that he was going to be a father of a girl before he was killed.
Rabiul is now survived by his wife, son Sajidul Karim Sunny, 8, and daughter Kamrunnahar Rayna, 3, apart from his mother and brother. Rayna was born a mother after Rabiul died.
After his death, Salma got a job as an administrative officer at Jahangirnagar University.
A total of 22 people, including 17 foreign nationals, Rabiul and another police officer, were killed after five gunmen raided the Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen restaurant at Gulshan, in the worst terror attack in Bangladesh’s history, on July 1, 2016.
The attackers were killed in a commando operation the next morning, after a 12-hour standoff.
Later, the attackers, the mastermind behind the attack and others involved in it were identified as leaders and members of New JMB, a splinter faction of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh.
After years of trial, a Dhaka court on Wednesday sentenced seven militants to death and acquitted one in the case filed over the terror attack.