B’desh police question family members of attackers

The police officer said parents and relatives of the five men were questioned on Tuesday and some again on Wednesday. The officer declined to give details and spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

The officer also said authorities have freed three of five former hostages they had been holding for questioning. Authorities were looking into the backgrounds of these people and questioning their families and friends. Police have eight people in custody, including one described as an attacker, but no one has been arrested as a suspect. 

Two police officers and 20 hostages, nine Italians, seven Japanese, an Indian and three students at American universities, were killed. Thirteen hostages were rescued when security forces stormed the restaurant Saturday morning. 

Authorities said security forces, civilians and some hostages were injured but have not given details. Meanwhile, Imtiaz Khan Babul, a politician in the ruling Awami League party whose son Rohan Imtiaz was one of the Bangladeshi attackers, said many other young Bangladeshi men have been missing like his son was for several months before carrying out the attack.

Babul told The Associated Press that the missing men are from educated families and are sons of serving and retired government employees. Babul urged the government to take these cases seriously and give them importance. “Those who have recruited them have done it with a target,” 

referring to their family backgrounds.