Dhaka, tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery

The Ambassador of Italy to Bangladesh, Antonio Alessandro, hosted a ceremony at his residence to commemorate the twenty-four victims - nine of whom were Italian - of the terrorist attack that took place on 1 July 2016 at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka.

Among those present were diplomatic representatives from Japan, India and the United States - the countries of origin of the victims of the attack - along with representatives of the local police forces, relatives and friends of the victims, hostages who survived the attack, and representatives of the Italian community.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed, spoke on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh to express closeness to family members of the victims and to reiterate her country's commitment to preventing and combating violent extremism.

On this occasion, Ambassador Alessandro read out President Mattarella's message to mark the tenth anniversary. The speech of the President of the Republic of Italy reads as follows: "The terrorists wanted to sow hatred and increase rivalry between the people of Bangladesh and the international community." Instead, it has served to strengthen solidarity and an awareness of the value of dialogue between peoples and our shared commitment to combating violence."

Ambassador Alessandro recalled the contribution made by the Italian victims - entrepreneurs and professionals from the private sector - to the growth of Bangladesh's economy, emphasising the inclusive nature of the ceremony, which is held annually in memory of victims of all nationalities and faiths.