ARMED ASSAILANTS TOOK CHEF HOSTAGE: WITNESS

Several people including foreigners are being held hostage in the midst of a gunfire exchange between police and criminals in Dhaka’s Gulshan Diplomatic zone.

The incident, that began around 8:45pm tonight at Holey Artisan Bakery chinese restaurant on Road 79, has caused to injuries of at least 30 people including police officials.

According to intelligence gathered by our correspondent at spot, about five assailants entered one Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant on Road 79 and opened gunfire around 9:20pm.

Huge number of policemen and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members cordoned off the restaurant. Assailants were hurling bombs compelling law enforcers to retreat.

At least 30 people including policemen are believed to have been shot at scene. Televisions were covering the incident live and showed some people shot.

Dhaka police Additional Deputy Commissioner Ahad, Banani police’s officer-in-charge were among several law enforcers injured, says Mizanur Rahman, senior ASP in the media wing of Rab.

ARMED ASSAILANTS TOOK CHEF HOSTAGE: WITNESS

Sumon Reza, a kitchen staff of Holey Artisan Bakery, who managed to escape, said several armed assailants entered the restaurant around 8:45pm and took the chief chef hostage.

The image shows a visiting card of a restaurant in Gulshan area in Dhaka. Photo: STAR/ Shaheen Mollah
“They blasted several crude bombs causing wide-scale panic among everyone. I managed to flee during this confusion,” he said. “They came armed with pistols, swords and bombs.”

“They shouted Allah hu Akbar before blasting the bombs,” he said.