Although eight years have passed since the horrific militant attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan, justice is yet to be finalised for the families of the victims.

The High Court bench of Justice Shahidul Karim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman on October 30, 2023, delivered a verdict in the case filed over the attack, commuting the death sentences of seven militants to jail sentences until their deaths.

But the HC bench is yet to release the full text of the judgement, which is needed to move any appeal before the Supreme Court.

The judges are now writing the judgement of the Holey Artisan attack case.

According to court sources, it cannot be specifically said when the full text of the verdict will be released and when appeals will be moved, heard and disposed of before the apex court.

Ariful Islam, a defence lawyer for the convicts, told The Daily Star on June 29 that his clients wanted to move their challenge appeals. But they have not been able to do so as the full text is yet to be released, he said.

Contacted, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said the state will decide, after receiving the full text of the judgement, whether any appeal will be moved before the Appellate Division seeking enhancement of the convicts' sentences.

On July 1, 2016, five militants with firearms, machetes, and grenades stormed the bakery and held the diners hostage before killing three Bangladeshis, seven Japanese people, nine Italians, and one Indian.

The militants were killed during a rescue operation by army commandos. A chef who worked at the cafe was also killed during the 12-hour standoff, while another injured employee died later. Two police officers died from wounds sustained during the immediate response to the attack.

After the attack, which drew global condemnation, law enforcers launched a massive crackdown on terror networks.

On November 27, 2019, the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal in Dhaka convicted and sentenced seven militants to death for their involvement in the Holey Artisan attack, terming it a disgraceful attack aimed at assassinating the non-communal character of Bangladesh.

The convicted are Jahangir Hossain, Aslam Hossain Rash, Hadisur Rahman, Rakibul Hasan Regan, Md Abdus Sabur Khan, Shariful Islam Khaled, and Mamunur Rashid Ripon.

The tribunal also acquitted one accused as it found him not guilty.

The convicted individuals then filed appeals with the HC challenging the tribunal verdict.

After holding hearings on the death references (lower court documents for confirmation of death sentences) and the appeals, the HC bench on October 30 last year commuted the death sentence of seven jailed militants to imprisonment until death.

The same day, Deputy Attorney General Bashir Ahmed said failing to understand a sub-section of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the tribunal gave death sentences to the convicts, and that's why the HC changed it.

Asked why the HC gave them jail sentences until death when the law stipulates life sentence as the highest punishment for the offences, DAG Bashir said 20 people, from home and abroad, and two police officials were brutally killed, which tarnished the country's image abroad and hampered public safety seriously.

So the court handed down jail sentences until death, citing a previous verdict.