Professor, 2 others held over links to Dhaka terror attack

“North South University’s (NSU) acting pro-VC Gias Uddin Ahsan was arrested on Saturday for renting out a flat to the attackers of Holey Artisan Bakery,” said Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Ahsan is the dean of NSU’s School of Health and Life Sciences, according to the private university s website.Ahsan’s nephew Alam Chowdhury and Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, the manager of a house in Bashundhara Residential Area were also arrested.

He said five militants who carried out the attack on the cafe on July 1 had taken shelter in the flat owned by Ahsan.The police official said the other associates of the attackers fled the flat after the attack. Several cartons were seized from the flat.

Police suspect the cartons were used to keep the grenades used in the attack that left at least 20 hostages, including an Indian, and two policemen dead. Security forces killed six persons in the raid at the cafe to free hostages.

Islamic State claimed reponsibility for the attack, though authorities have dismissed the claim.

One of the militants killed by police was a student of NSU. His family said he had been missing for months.

Ahsan’s nephew Alam and manager Tuhin were tasked with renting the flat.