Bangladesh today reaffirmed its “zero tolerance” stance against terrorism and violent extremism as diplomats, government officials, survivors and victims’ families gathered in Dhaka to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Holey Artisan Bakery attack.Addressing the commemoration ceremony at the residence of Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed said such forces had no place in Bangladesh and would never be allowed to undermine the country’s peace and stability.The tragic terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery still lingers in our memories, reminding us of one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history,” she said.She described the attack as a calculated attempt to sow fear, hatred and division in Bangladesh’s vibrant, tolerant and inclusive society.The state minister said Bangladesh had since adopted a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach” to combating terrorism and violent extremism, involving law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, civil society, religious leaders, educational institutions and international partners.
The attack, carried out by militants at the upscale café in Gulshan on 1 July 2016, killed 24 people.
The victims included seven Bangladeshis — Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain, Ishrat Akhond, Rabiul Karim, Salauddin Khan, Saiful Islam Chowkidar, Zakir Hossain Shaon and Abinta Kabir; nine Italians — Cristian Rossi, Marco Tondat, Nadia Benedetti, Adele Puglisi, Simona Monti, Claudia Maria D’Antona, Vincenzo D’Allestro, Maria Rivoli and Claudio Cappelli; seven Japanese — Hideki Hashimoto, Nobuhiro Kurosaki, Koyo Ogasawara, Makoto Okamura, Yuko Sakai, Rui Shimodaira and Hiroshi Tanaka; and Indian citizen Tarishi Jain.Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi, Japanese Ambassador Shinichi Saida, US Embassy Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Albert Cea, and families of the victims laid floral wreaths and observed a moment of silence in memory of those killed.
Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro described the attack as a brutal act of terrorism that had deeply affected the international community in Bangladesh.Ten years have passed since a brutal terrorist attack claimed 24 innocent lives,” he said.
He noted that many of the victims had made significant contributions to Bangladesh’s development. The Italian victims were associated with the country’s textile and garment sector, while the Japanese victims had been working with JICA on infrastructure projects, including Dhaka’s metro rail system.
“Every time we travel on the metro line in Dhaka, we remember that the victims were working on that project,” Alessandro said.
He also paid tribute to the police officers who responded during the attack, saying their actions reflected the importance of duty and sacrifice.
During the ceremony, Alessandro read out a message from Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who renewed his condolences to the victims’ families and reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to combating terrorism.
“The terrorists sought to sow hatred and fuel division between the people of Bangladesh and the international community,” the message said.
“Instead, what emerged was a strengthened sense of solidarity and a heightened awareness of the value of dialogue among peoples.”
Concluding the event, Alessandro said: “Let us not forget — never again.”
