Dhaka, Aug 9 (Just News): Former private university teacher Abul Hasnat Reza Karim was released from Kashimpur High Security Prison in Gazipur this afternoon.
He was set free after two years in custody as a Dhaka court yesterday ordered his release in connection with the Gulshan café attack case.
The Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal in Dhaka that accepted charge sheet against eight alleged militants issued the order on Hasnat, 16 days after police exonerated him as they had found no evidence of his involvement.
British-Bangladeshi Hasnat took his family to the restaurant on July 1, 2016 to celebrate his daughter's birthday. They were among several others released by the attackers before the army raided the café.
Immediately after his release, he was taken to the office of the Detective Branch (DB) of police for interrogation. The police claimed that Hasnat was released after questioning, but his family insisted he never returned home and could not be contacted by any means.
Later, police on August 3 that year said they had arrested Hasnat under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure that allows arrest without a warrant.
He was shown arrested in the case filed over the Holey Artisan Bakery terror attack on August 13 the same year and was interrogated for several days on remand.
Court sources say the order of his release was sent to the jail authorities yesterday afternoon.
(Justnews/ys/2220hr)
