World leaders denounce Dhaka cafe attack

The world leaders have denounced the heinous terror attack on a Gulshan cafe in Dhaka on July 1 as they sent separate messages to President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, the Thai King and Pope Francis sent separate messages to the Bangladesh President and the Prime Minister condemning the brutal attack at Holey Artisan Bakery that left 22 people, including 17 foreign nationals and two senior officers of Bangladesh police dead, a foreign ministry press release said.

The heads of state and government who sent condolence messages to their Bangladesh counterparts included the Indian President and the Prime Minister, the Chinese President and the Premier, the Myanmar President, the British Premier, Malaysian Prime Minister, the Thai Prime Minister, the Vietnamese President and the Prime Minister, the Sri Lankan President and the Bhutanese Premier.

On behalf of US President Barack Obama, US Secretary of State John Kerry phoned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, condemning the terrorist attack on the Gulshan cafe and expressing sympathy to the family members of those killed and injured in the attack. 

Besides, the deputy prime ministers of Vietnam, Nepal and Kuwait as well as the foreign ministers of a number of countries sent condolence messages to Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.

The foreign ministers of Switzerland, China, Thailand, Lao PDR and the Maldives and the Indian external affairs ministers also denounced the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery at Gulshan.

The United Nations secretary general, the Commonwealth secretary general, the OIC secretary general, the SAARC secretary general and the D-8 secretary general, the European Union, the Permanent Delegation of Nigeria to UNESCO and the International Organization for Migration sent condolence messages. 

Moreover, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Indonesia, Russian 
Federation, Oman, Mexico, Brazil, Belgium, Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt and Denmark issued statements condemning the attack.

Twenty hostages were brutally killed during the siege at Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on July 1 before the commandoes stormed the cafe the next morning. 

Of the civilian victims, nine were Italian citizens, seven Japanese, one Indian, two Bangladeshis and one Bangladeshi-born US citizen. 

Besides, Detective Branch senior assistant commissioner Robiul Karim and Banani Police Station officer-in-charge Md Salauddin Khan were killed and 26 police members injured when they tried to rescue the hostages. 

However, six terrorists were killed and one was held in the army-led rescue operation. Thirteen hostages, including women and children, were also rescued during the operation.

Source: BSS