DHAKA: Bangladesh police on Monday charged eight Islamist extremists over the savage 2016 attack claimed by the militant Islamic State group on a Dhaka cafe popular with Westerners that killed 22 people including 18 foreigners.

Of the eight charged, “six have been arrested and two have absconded,” Monirul Islam, the head of Dhaka police’s counter-terrorism unit, told reporters.

“Their aim was to destabilise the country and turn the country into a militant state,” Islam said.

Police said the eight face a maximum sentence of death by hanging under anti-terrorism laws.

The brazen assault on July 1, 2016 saw five militants with assault rifles and machetes storm the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka’s well-heeled Gulshan neighbourhood.

Nine Italians and seven Japanese were among the foreigners to be hacked or shot dead. Two policemen were also killed. Military commandos stormed the cafe after a 10-hour standoff and freed more than two dozen hostages.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2018