How many masterminds were behind the attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in the posh Gulshan area of Dhaka is not yet known. Police named Nurul Islam Marzan, who was killed in a police raid in the capital's Rayer Bazar neighbourhood, as a mastermind of the last year's deadly siege of the café.
Basharuzzaman Chocolate and Mizanur Rahman alias Chhoto Mizan were killed during a raid by police on a militant den in Chapainawabganj's Shibganj about three months ago, after their killing police introduced them as the masterminds of the Gulshan café attack.
After the arrest of Rashedul Islam aka 'Rash,' Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal identified him as one of the masterminds of the Holey Artisan Bakery attack."
A senior official of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit told the Daily Observer on Wednesday that Canadian citizen Tamim Chowdhury was the chief mastermind of the café attack. Five to six other people, involved in the Gulshan carnage, were also introduced as the masterminds of the first-ever militant attack in the country.
The recently arrested Sohel Mahfuz, who was a supplier of firearms and grenades used in the attack that left 20 people, mostly foreigners and two police officers killed was the operational commander of July cafe attack and has also been identified as a mastermind.
The country's security forces launched a deadly crackdown against Islamist extremists following the cafe siege, which badly undermined Bangladesh's reputation as a relatively moderate Muslim nation. Since the cafe attack, security forces have shot dead around 70 Islamist extremists including most of the alleged kingpins of JMB.
Police intelligence had found that Marzan organised the cafe siege and was its operational commander, said the Home Minister.
Five terrorists had entered the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, housing several foreign embassies, residence of diplomats, and took several people hostage.
After several hours, a joint commando force entered the café and killed the attackers, all of whom were Bangladeshi nationals. The siege lasted for 11 hours and resulted in the death of two security force personnel.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the cafe attack, posting images of the carnage as it happened and photos of the gunmen who had posed with the ISIS's black flag.
The overnight siege of the Gulshan café left 20 diners dead, 17 of them foreigners. Two police officials died during the operation. The gunmen were eventually shot dead by commandos.
Eight suspects who were involved in its planning died in several anti-terror raids that followed. With Rashed's capture six suspects were now in custody.
Police on the first anniversary of the attack said it needed to capture five terrorists before submitting the charge sheet of its investigation.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that police are working to make sure the case's charge sheet is "flawless" because most of the attack victims were citizens of Bangladesh's foreign allies.
"The investigation is in its final stages, the charge sheet will be submitted very soon.
