Dhaka : Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, today said New Delhi is grateful to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her gesture shown to 19- year-old Indian Tarishi Jain and other victims of the Gulshan terror attack.
Shringla said that Prime Minister Hasina met with the families of all victims.
“She met the families of police personnel, who died. And I think this is quite unexpected extraordinary gesture considering the pre-occupation the Prime Minister faces at this point of time, but I think she made a point to express condolences and solidarity with the victims of this terrorist attack. And all I can say is that on behalf of my country we are grateful to her for the gesture,” Shringla told ANI.
Shringla said the body of slain Indian hostage Tarishi Jain has been flown to New Delhi.
“I have just been to the airport to see off our daughter Tarishi. She has just left Bangladesh and gone back home with her parents. And Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told me that she is deeply distraught as what has happened,” he said.
Tarishi, a student of University of California in Berkeley where she studied Economics, was in Dhaka on vacation. She had gone with two other friends to the Gulshan cafe where she was killed.
Shringla further said that Prime Minister Hasina has also expressed condolence to her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
“Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wanted me to convey condolences to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and she said that we will be resolute in the fight against terrorism,” he added.
Prime Minister Hasina today paid homage to the victims of the Gulshan attack at the Army Stadium in Banani.
The people from all walks of life also paid homage in solidarity with the victims.
Nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, one Bangladeshi American and two Bangladeshis were killed in the terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on Friday night.
Besides 20 people, two senior police officers-Banani Police Station officer-in-charge Salauddin Ahmed Khan and Detective Branch Assistant Commissioner Robiul Islam were killed while trying to rescue the hostages.
The 12-hour-long hostage crisis at the cafe popular with foreigners ended after a two-hour long assault by armed forces’ commandos killing six gunmen.
One assailant has been held by the security forces.
Though Islamic state has taken responsibility for the attack, the Bangladesh government clearly rejected the claims and said the attack did not have any link with any international terrorist organization and it was homegrown.
The Bangladesh authorities even blamed Pakistan’s ISI for the attack. (ANI)