Dhaka: People from all strata of life, including representatives of various political parties, diplomatic missions, various civil societies and police personnel are paying their respects to the victims who lost their lives in the Gulshan Holy Artisan Café attack.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Masato Watanabe, among others, have paid their homage to the victims of Dhaka attack.

The site of carnage in Gulshan has remained open for four hours from 10am to 2:00pm on Saturday for all to pay respect to the victims who were killed by militants.

The first anniversary of Gulshan Holy Artisan Café attack, the deadliest militant attack in Bangladesh’s history, is being observed in solemn remembrance of those who lost their lives.

On the evening of 1 July, 2016, five militants entered the Holy Artisan Café and Bakery with crude bombs, machetes, pistols, and took several dozen people hostages, including 18 foreigners.

Twenty hostages — nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, one Bangladesh-born American and two Bangladeshis—were killed as the militants sprayed them with bullets indiscriminately or cut their throats to confirm their death inside the café.

Besides, two senior police officers — Banani Police Station then officer-in-charge Salauddin Ahmed Khan and Detective Branch assistant commissioner Robiul Islam — were shot dead when police tried to gain control of the bakery.

Thirteen people, including three foreigners, were rescued while 20 bodies of the hostages were recovered from the restaurant after a successful operation led by the 1^st Para-commando Battalion, an elite force in the Bangladesh Army the following morning (2 July). Five militants and one restaurant staff were killed and one suspected militant was arrested during the drive.

A case was filed with Gulshan police station in connection with the worst terror attack. Later, the case was transferred to the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Now, inspector Humayun Ahmed of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) has been investigating the case as its investigation officer (IO).

The CTTC unit officials said investigators, involved in the investigation into the case, have already identified five suspected militants—Mizanur Rahman alias Chhoto Mizan, Sagar, Sohel Mahfuz, Rashed alias Rash and Basharuzzaman alias Chocolate—who were involved in the attack in various ways.

Chief of the CTTC unite and DMP Additional Commissioner Monirul Islam said some the café attack masterminds were killed during anti-militant operations in different areas.

‘We couldn’t arrest the masterminds alive. Three suspected militants whom we identified as Sohel Mahfuz, Rashed alias Rash and Basharuzzaman alias Chocolate are the most important wanted accused in the case. If we can arrest the trio, we can finish the investigation into the case,’ the CTTC chief said.

He said the specialized unit so far arrested four suspected militants in connection with the case. Of them, three suspects have already given their confessional statements under 164 Section of the CrPc before a magistrate of Dhaka court.

Their main objective of launching the attack was to draw attention of media both at home and abroad to inform the emergence of the Islamic militant group, he said.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Wednesday said investigators were taking time to submit the chargesheet in the Holey Artisan attack case as they want it to be flawless.

‘A flawless charge-sheet will be submitted soon,’ he told reporters at his secretariat office on the first working day after the Eid vacation.