Verdict against Tahmid on April 6

A Dhaka court on Monday fixed April 6 for delivering its verdict in a non-prosecution case filed against Canadian university student Tahmid Hasib Khan, who is a survivor of the terrorist attack at Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery in July 1 last year. The case was filed on September 28 that year under Section 176 of the Penal Code against Tahmid as he did not aid the investigation officer of the Gulshan café attack case by providing him with information about the incident. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mahmudul Hasan set the date of the verdict after hearing the arguments of the prosecution and the defence in the case. On August 3, Tahmid, a Canadian permanent resident of Bangladeshi origin, was arrested on suspicion of having links with the Gulshan cafe attackers under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. But on October 5, a Dhaka court cleared Tahmid from the charges as police found no evidence of his involvement in the attack. On the same day, the court also accepted a prayer filed by the investigation officer to file a prosecution report under Section 176 against Tahmid for not cooperating with him in the investigation, despite repeated notices. Tahmid had been released on bail on October 2. At least 20 hostages, including 17 foreign nationals, were killed by suspected militants during the terror attack at the café on July 1. Tahmid was rescued along with 32 other survivors before and after the commando operation at the café on July 2, following a 12-hour hostage standoff. The case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 with Gulshan police station is now under investigation.