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| Bangladesh cafe siege: Briton Hasnat Karim freed without charge | Bangladesh cafe siege: Briton Hasnat Karim freed without charge |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A British man detained in Bangladesh following a deadly cafe siege two years ago has been freed without charge. | A British man detained in Bangladesh following a deadly cafe siege two years ago has been freed without charge. |
| Hasnat Karim was celebrating his daughter's 13th birthday at the Holey Artisan cafe with his family in the capital Dhaka in July 2016 when it was targeted by Islamist militants. | Hasnat Karim was celebrating his daughter's 13th birthday at the Holey Artisan cafe with his family in the capital Dhaka in July 2016 when it was targeted by Islamist militants. |
| Twenty-two people, mostly foreigners, were killed over the course of the 12-hour siege, in what was the country's worst terrorist attack. | Twenty-two people, mostly foreigners, were killed over the course of the 12-hour siege, in what was the country's worst terrorist attack. |
| Eight other suspects have been charged. | |
| Mr Karim, who is in his late forties and has dual British-Bangladeshi citizenship, was taken hostage when gunmen stormed the cafe. | Mr Karim, who is in his late forties and has dual British-Bangladeshi citizenship, was taken hostage when gunmen stormed the cafe. |
| Eyewitnesses at the time said he became a police suspect because he agreed to become a human shield during the siege. | Eyewitnesses at the time said he became a police suspect because he agreed to become a human shield during the siege. |
| Human rights group Amnesty International had campaigned against Mr Karim's continued detention. | Human rights group Amnesty International had campaigned against Mr Karim's continued detention. |
| The head of the police's counter terrorism and transnational crime unit Monirul Islam said on Monday that Mr Karim had been acquitted. | The head of the police's counter terrorism and transnational crime unit Monirul Islam said on Monday that Mr Karim had been acquitted. |
| "During our two-year long investigation, we did not find any involvement [of Karim] in this attack directly or indirectly, so he was acquitted from this case," Mr Islam said. | "During our two-year long investigation, we did not find any involvement [of Karim] in this attack directly or indirectly, so he was acquitted from this case," Mr Islam said. |
| The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, although Bangladesh disputed this and said a local militant group was responsible. | The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, although Bangladesh disputed this and said a local militant group was responsible. |
| Five militants inside the cafe were killed by police. Eight others have now been charged over their involvement, six of whom are in custody, according to Mr Islam. | Five militants inside the cafe were killed by police. Eight others have now been charged over their involvement, six of whom are in custody, according to Mr Islam. |