• Burmese
Thursday, July 17, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
32 °c
Ashburn
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Asia

Bangladesh Court Sentences Seven to Death for 2016 Cafe Attack

Reuters by Reuters
November 28, 2019
in Asia
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Policemen sneak a look inside the Holey Artisan Bakery and the O'Kitchen Restaurant as others inspect the site after gunmen attacked, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 3, 2016. / Reuters / Adnan Abidi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Policemen sneak a look inside the Holey Artisan Bakery and the O'Kitchen Restaurant as others inspect the site after gunmen attacked, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 3, 2016. / Reuters / Adnan Abidi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

DHAKA—A Bangladesh court handed death sentences to seven members of an Islamist militant group on Wednesday for their role in an attack on a cafe in 2016 that killed 22 people, mostly foreigners, in the South Asian nation’s worst such incident.

“Charges against them were proved beyond any doubt. The court gave them the highest punishment,” public prosecutor Golam Sarwar Khan told reporters after the verdict, amid tight security at the court in the capital, Dhaka.

One of the eight accused was acquitted, he added.

RelatedPosts

Trump Slaps New Travel Ban on 12 Countries Including Myanmar

Trump Slaps New Travel Ban on 12 Countries Including Myanmar

June 5, 2025
1.5k
Myanmar Suspends Tourist Visas After Quake

Myanmar Suspends Tourist Visas After Quake

April 8, 2025
4.2k
Myanmar, Thailand to Discuss Return of Arrested Thai Fishermen

Myanmar, Thailand to Discuss Return of Arrested Thai Fishermen

December 4, 2024
957

A defense lawyer said the convicted men would appeal the charges, which include training the attackers and supplying arms, explosives and funds.

After the ruling, they shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) and “We did nothing wrong” from the dock to a packed courtroom, witnesses said.

Two were seen wearing prayer caps bearing the insignia of Islamic State; authorities opened an investigation into how the caps reached them while they were in police custody.

The July 1 attack on the restaurant popular with foreigners in Dhaka’s diplomatic area shocked the nation of 160 million and unnerved businesses, including the vital garment exports sector, and foreign investors.

Five young militants, armed with guns, sharp weapons and grenades stormed the Holey Artisan cafe, took diners hostage and killed them over 12 hours. Nine Italians, seven Japanese, an American and an Indian were among the dead. The attackers were also killed in a rescue bid by army commandos.

Prosecutor Khan said the seven men convicted on Wednesday belong to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, a group that seeks to establish sharia rule in the predominantly Muslim country.

“The ruling will set an example. It will give a message to militant groups that none of them will be spared,” Law Minister Anisul Huq said.

Under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has been cracking down on militant groups to preserve its image as a moderate Muslim nation. After the cafe siege, police raided suspected hideouts and killed dozens of militants believed to have helped mount the attack. Hundreds more were arrested.

“We are happy that justice has been served,” said Shamsuzzaman Shams, whose policeman brother was killed when he tried to enter the cafe to foil the attackers, adding: “We want immediate execution of the ruling.”

But defense lawyer Delwar Hossain said all seven men convicted on Wednesday will challenge the verdict in a higher court. “They didn’t get justice,” he said.

The assault was claimed by Islamic State but the government has consistently denied the presence in the country of any transnational militant organization such as al-Qaeda or Islamic State, blaming domestic militants instead.

Police said a faction of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, was involved in organizing the cafe attack.

In the year before the atrocity, Bangladesh saw a string of grisly individual murders, including of secular writers and foreigners, claimed by Islamic State or al-Qaeda.

The US Embassy in Dhaka said the trial was a landmark case. “We remain committed to continuing to support Bangladesh in its fight against terrorism, especially in our shared efforts to improve rule of law,” it said.

You may also like these stories

Reuters Reporters Say Deprived of Sleep During Myanmar Probe

After Baghdadi Death, Southeast Asia Braces for Retaliatory Attacks by ISIS

India Reiterates Plan to Stop Sharing of Excess Water with Pakistan–Minister

Bangladesh Police Kill Three Suspected Rohingya Traffickers, Rescue 15 Refugees

Your Thoughts …
Tags: al QaedaattackDeath SentenceForeignersHoley Artisan CaféISISIslamic StateJamaat-ul-Mujahideen BangladeshterrorTerrorismvictims
Reuters

Reuters

...

Similar Picks:

US Red-Faced as Contractor Lists Myanmar Resistance Groups in Terrorism Index
Myanmar’s Crisis & the World

US Red-Faced as Contractor Lists Myanmar Resistance Groups in Terrorism Index

by The Irrawaddy
December 12, 2023
5.5k

State Dept. contractor Development Services Group (DSG)'s inclusion of ethnic armies and PDFs in an annex to a US global...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Suspends Tourist Visas After Quake
Burma

Myanmar Suspends Tourist Visas After Quake

by The Irrawaddy
April 8, 2025
4.2k

As the official death toll rises, the junta seems increasingly worried about foreigners seeing the real scale of the disaster,...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Says It ‘Acted Correctly’ in Firing on Thai Fishing Fleet
Burma

Myanmar Says It ‘Acted Correctly’ in Firing on Thai Fishing Fleet

by The Irrawaddy
December 3, 2024
3.9k

The junta claims “materials related to revolutionary groups” were found on one of the Burmese-crewed Thai fishing trawlers that strayed...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta Warplanes Bomb School in Karenni State, Killing 4 Children
Burma

Myanmar Junta Warplanes Bomb School in Karenni State, Killing 4 Children

by Brian Wei
February 5, 2024
2.3k

Latest slaughter comes after civilians killed by junta attacks in the state reportedly surpassed 500, of whom about 65% were...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta Blitzes Kachin Army’s Laiza HQ After Losing Two Bases
Burma

Myanmar Junta Blitzes Kachin Army’s Laiza HQ After Losing Two Bases

by The Irrawaddy
November 7, 2023
2.2k

Regime forces are bombarding the town with airstrikes and artillery, forcing Chinese, elderly and young residents to flee. 

Read moreDetails
Burma

Starvation Stalks Thousands Who Fled Rakhine Town Blockaded by Myanmar Junta

by Hein Htoo Zan
November 20, 2023
2.1k

Around 19,000 residents who abandoned Pauktaw last week have been stranded in the countryside, while electricity has been cut in...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
UEC officials hold a press conference in Naypyitaw on Nov. 27. / Moe Moe / The Irrawaddy

Over 37M Eligible Voters in Myanmar; Lists for 2020 Poll Not Yet Complete, UEC Says

Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in pose for a photo at the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan, South Korea. / Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Myanmar Inks Four Agreements With S.Korea to Cooperate on Education, Environment, Tech

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

‘Not a Witch Hunt’: Upholding Survivor-Centered Justice in Myanmar

‘Not a Witch Hunt’: Upholding Survivor-Centered Justice in Myanmar

6 days ago
720
‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

1 week ago
1.4k

Most Read

  • Indian Army Accused of Deadly Strike on Separatists in Myanmar

    Indian Army Accused of Deadly Strike on Separatists in Myanmar

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Rakhine Fighters Close In on Myanmar Junta’s Naval Base

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar and Russian Regimes Push Indian Trade Corridor to Bypass Western Sanctions

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Behind the Scenes: China’s Hand in Myanmar’s Election

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.