Hasina announces two-day mourning for Dhaka victims

Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday announced a two-day national mourning for the victims of the country’s worst ever hostage crisis.

At least 20 hostages, mostly foreigners, were found dead inside an upscale Dhaka cafe after commandos neutralised six gunmen to put an end to an overnight siege, bdnews24.com.

“What do you want to achieve by killing innocents? Islam is a religion of peace. Do not taint our religion with your hateful acts,” she said in a televised address to the nation on Saturday evening.

Hasina remembered the two policemen who were killed after the attackers, who shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, threw grenades at them in an early exchange of gunfire when the siege had begun.

–IANS