10 years after Holey Artisan: A night of terror, a decade of scars
Where the Holey Artisan Bakery once stood by the Gulshan lake in Dhaka, a multi-story residential building now rises. From the outside, there is no way to tell that a decade ago, this very spot became the epicentre of the deadliest militant attack in Bangladesh’s history. The night of 1 July 2016, confronted not just Gulshan, but the entire country with a stark new security reality.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of that horrific attack. Yet, despite the passage of time, the terror of that night, the grief of families who lost loved ones, and the brutal killings targeting both Bangladeshi and foreign nationals remain unforgotten.
It was Friday on 1 July 2016. In the evening, the presence of local and foreign guests at the upscale Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Gulshan was typical for the time. Following Iftar, all of a sudden a group of young men stormed into the restaurant armed with guns, machetes and explosives, taking everyone inside hostage.
Upon receiving the news, the police were the first to arrive at the scene. Soon after, members of various law enforcement agencies, including RAB, SWAT and BGB, cordoned off the entire area.
The militants hurled bombs at the police officers who first arrived at the scene. The attack killed Assistant Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch, Rabiul Karim and the then-Officer-in-Charge of Banani police station, Salahuddin Khan. Many others were injured.
Throughout the night, the relatives of the hostages waited on the streets of Gulshan. No one knew for sure whether their loved ones inside were still alive or not.
As the hours passed, the anxiety continued to grow. Meanwhile, Amaq, the purported news agency of the Iraq-Syria-based militant group Islamic State (IS), claimed responsibility for the attack. That same night, Amaq's online channel also released photos of several bloodied victims inside the restaurant.
The following morning, at around 7:40 am, a military-led rescue mission ‘Operation Thunderbolt’ was launched. Commandos breached the restaurant's walls using armored vehicles. The operation concluded in a short time. Thirteen hostages were rescued alive.
However, it was only after the operation ended that the true horror of the attack became clear. The bodies of 20 hostages were recovered from inside the restaurant. Among them were nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian and three Bangladeshis. Including the two police officers, the death toll from the attack stood at 22.
The slain Bangladeshis were Faraaz Hossain, Abinta Kabir and Ishrat Akhond. A young Indian woman, Tarishi Jain, was also killed. The seven Japanese nationals who lost their lives were engaged in development cooperation projects in Bangladesh.
Investigations revealed that five young men were selected to carry out the attack. Several of them belonged to affluent, educated families in Dhaka. They had left their homes months earlier in the name of ‘hijrat’. They were subsequently sheltered in various hideouts across Gaibandha, Jhenaidah, Bogura and Pabna.
According to investigating officials, the attack was orchestrated by a neo-JMB faction inspired by IS ideology. The probe later uncovered that this group had been carrying out clandestine attacks across the country for a year prior, targeting and killing Shias, Christian converts, Hindu priests and foreign nationals.
Following the Holey Artisan attack, law enforcement agencies launched a massive, nationwide crackdown on this extremist group. Many of the faction’s key organisers and members were killed during these operations. Following these sustained drives, law enforcement agencies claimed to have dismantled the neo-JMB network.
Over the past decade, Bangladesh has not witnessed another militant attack of that magnitude. However, the brutality of that night at Holey Artisan remains vividly etched in the memory of the entire nation.