‘Tahmid was only detained for info, not arrested’

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Holey Artisan Bakery attack suspect Tahmid Hasib Khan wasn’t shown arrested since any information of his involvement with the attack could not be found. The terror attack took place on July 1 night when militants stormed the eatery in Gulshan and massacred 21 people, 17 of whom were foreign nationals dining at the restaurant. “He (Tahmid) wasn’t shown arrested since our detectives could not get any exclusive information that directly links him with the case,” he said while replying to query regarding Tahmid’s release during a meet-the-press on Tuesday at his secretariat office. “Moreover, it is court’s jurisdiction to grant him bail, not the Home Ministry’s. But we can question him anytime we want,” he added. A Dhaka court on Sunday has granted bail to Dhaka terror attack hostage Tahmid Hasib Khan, who was arrested under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) nearly a month ago. The court, however, fixed October 5 as the hearing of a petition filed by the case’s investigation officer for not cooperating with police during the investigation. Tahmid’s counsel also assured the court that Tahmid would not abscond after getting bail and would appear before the court whenever he was summoned. The investigation officer of the case, Inspector Humayun Kabir of the Counterterrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit of police, submitted a petition before the court on September 28 seeking Tahmid’s acquittal from the charges against him. Police have not found any militant connection of Tahmid during investigation, which is why he is eligible to be acquitted, said the petition.