foreign nationals are held hostage inside a restaurant in Gulshan diplomatic zone

So far, several people including foreign nationals are held hostage inside a restaurant in Gulshan diplomatic zone. At least 30 people including policemen have been shot.

Our correspondent Shaheen Mollah is reporting LIVE from the spot.

11:57pm: "Some people being held hostage at gunpoint inside the restaurant," Monirul Islam, additional commissioner of Bangladesh's counter terrorism unit, tells The Daily Star.

11:56pm: Sumon Reza, a kitchen staff of Holey Artisan Bakery, who managed to escape, says an Argentinian and another Italian are among those held hostage inside the restaurant.

11:49pm: US and UK issue alerts for its citizens in and around the Gulshan zone.

11:26pm: News comes from Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Two including a policeman and a pedestrian, injured during Gulshan face off, are being treated at the hospital.

11:19pm: Rab Director General Benzir Ahmed urges televisions against live coverage citing security reasons.

11:15pm: Md Suhrawardy, a businessman, who lives nearby says his family informed him of the crisis around 8:40pm. They told him not to go home and that they too heard “Allah hu Akbar” screams before several blasts. The lights of the bakery was out at that time.

At least 30 people, including police officials, are injured in a face off with suspected criminals at Holey Artisan Bakery at Road 79 in Gulshan 2 area of Dhaka. Photo taken from Internet
11:14pm: Dhaka police Additional Deputy Commissioner Ahad, Banani police officer-in-charge among several law enforcers injured, says Mizanur Rahman, senior ASP in the media wing of Rab.

11:02pm: Cops preparing for a counter offensive. They are gearing up with bulletproof vests, helmets and firearms at the moment.

11:00pm: Cops have retreated in face of indiscriminate firing and bomb blasts.

The restaurant, Holey Artisan Bakery at road 79 in Gulshan 2, is where the face off between cops and suspected criminals took place. Photo taken from Internet
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.

About 8-10 assailants, armed with pistols, swords and bombs took the chef of Holey Artisan Bakery hostage around 8:45pm, said Sumon Reza, a kitchen staff, who managed to escape.

According to him, the assailants shouted “Allah hu Akbar” before blasting several bombs.