Dhaka: Police handed over the Holey Artisan Bakery to the café authorities on Sunday, after four and half months into the militant attack on the Spanish restaurant on 1 July.

Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Masudur Rahman said the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit formally handed over the restaurant to its owner at about 4:15pm following a court order.

The café remained closed since July 2 as the special DMP crime unit which is investigating the militant attack took its control.

Armed militants stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery and opened fire and took around 40 people, including restaurant staff and guests -- locals and foreigners, hostage on July 1.

Twenty-two people -- nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, one Bangladeshi-born American and four Bangladeshis including two policemen-- were killed in the terror attack on the restaurant.