Gunmen attack restaurant in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone
3 July 2016 5:16 AM IST
Bangladesh police exchanged fire with armed men on Friday in the upmarket Gulshan area of Dhaka that houses the diplomatic zone, according to reports in the Bangladeshi media. The shooting started near Holey Artisan Bakery, which is a favourite with expatriates, Lakeview Hospital and Nordic Club in Gulshan, at 9.15pm Bangladesh time. Several people, including foreign nationals, were believed to be trapped in the area, The Daily Star newspaper reported on its website without giving details. It added that several people, including policemen, were “believed to have been shot”.
News portal bdnews24.com reported that one of its journalists who was in the area said he had heard at least 50 gunshots. A staffer of a diplomatic mission, who lives close to the area, told bdnews24.com that he had heard gunfire. Reports said police had set up barricades in the area. At least five assailants had entered Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant and opened fire and lobbed bombs, The Daily Star reported. A large number of policemen and personnel of the Rapid Action Battalion had cordoned off the restaurant. Sumon Reza, a member of the staff at Holey Artisan Bakery who managed to escape, said several armed assailants entered the restaurant and took the chief chef hostage. “They blasted several crude bombs, causing wide-scale panic among everyone. I managed to flee during this confusion,” he said.
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