Dhaka: Toronto University student Tahmid Hasib Khan, one of the hostages of Gulshan terror attack in last July, claimed himself innocent during self-defence hearing in a case filed against him over non-cooperating police in the investigation of the attack.

Tahmid Hasib Khan was appeared before Dhaka Metropolitan Megistrate Mahmudul Hassan’s court on Tuesday for the self-defence session.

The court also fixed 20 March for the refutation session in the case.

Earlier on 3 October, a Dhaka court granted bail to Tahmid Hasib Khan. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Laskar Sohel Rana issued the order following a bail petition filed by Tahmid’s counsel.

Later, he was freed from Dhaka Central Jail at Keraniganj.

On 28 September, inspector Humyan Kabir of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) submitted a report to a court to relieve Tahmid, a Bangladeshi-origin Canadian, from the charge.

On 20 August, a court sent Tahmid to jail rejecting his bail pleas when he was produced before it on completion of his remand period in connection with the Gulshan terror attack.

A team of the CTTC unit arrested Tahmid on August 3 from the city’s Bashundhara area for his suspected link to the attack. He was shown arrested under Section 54 of the CrPC.

Tahmid was rescued along with 12 others during the commando operation at the Holey Artisan Bakery at the city’s diplomatic zone Gulshan on 2 July  following a 12-hour hostage standoff.

His family members claimed that he had remained traceless since then. However, law enforcement agencies said they set him free after interrogation over the café’ attack.

Apart from two police officers, 20 hostages, including 17 foreign nationals, were killed by militants, while five militants and one suspected associate of the attackers were killed during a commando operation in the café on 2 July.