Expressing serious concern over the systematic attacks and gradual escalation of terrorism and violent extremism, foreign diplomats in Dhaka stress the need for more effective security steps.

Expressing his shock at Friday's militant attack at a Gulshan cafe, Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus condoles family members of the 22 people brutally killed by the militants.

Police detain the father and a brother of Shafiqul Islam Uzzal, one of the five militants who took part in the Gulshan restaurant attack on Friday, from their house in Dhunat upazila of Bogra.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal says the Gulshan cafe attackers were members of different banned and local militant outfits.

Emory University says they will hold a vigil to remember two students killed when a group of armed extremists stormed a restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

"Don't call her a martyr, she wanted to live," said Tulika Jain, mother of Tarishi who was killed in the Dhaka terror attack.

Pakistan's Foreign Office on Monday denied that Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) was behind the Dhaka carnage and described the allegations as “baseless and unfounded”.

The unprecedented Gulshan café attack that claimed lives of 20 hostages, most of them foreigners, seems to have compelled Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to refrain from accusing each other of patronising terrorists and carrying out attacks by their party men.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam will brief journalists at 5:00pm.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Italy Mario Giro has returned to his country with the bodies of nine Italians killed in The Holey Artisan attack on Friday

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali expresses his hope that the international community will support Bangladesh in fighting common challenges of terrorism and violent extremism.

Bodies of the seven Japanese nationals who were killed in a militant attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Bangladesh capital Dhaka return to home soil Tuesday morning.

Japan and Italy have assured Bangladesh that they would continue providing all sorts of cooperation to the South Asian country, regardless of any potential threat of terror attack on foreigners.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, yesterday said resisting brainwashing of youths through false misinterpretation of religion is important than any other tasks now in the country.

BNP yesterday alleged that the ruling Awami League was giving various conditions as it was not willing to forge a national unity to deal with the growing threats of militancy and terrorism.

His family affectionately called him Chhotu, which means the younger one. And it is never easy for a family to bury the young one.

Foreign countries and their envoys in Dhaka, international organisations, and cross section yesterday and on Sunday stoutly protested the barbaric militant attack on a café in the capital's Gulshan on Friday night.

Indeed, we need counter terrorism cells for surgical interventions. We also need a system of 'reverse brainwash.' The first step is to break the isolation trap; family and social network need to be the source of positive energy.

Condemning Friday's Gulshan attack as heinous, the Asian Human Rights Commission yesterday said the terrorist strike was a result of the failed institution.

Japan and Italy have agreed to coordinate diplomatic and intelligence activities in the aftermath of Friday's militant attack in Dhaka.