University of Toronto student detained after surviving Dhaka attack

Friends and family of Tahmid Hasib Khan are calling for his release after he was detained following the deadly attack at a bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh that led to a hostage situation.

Khan was born in Dhaka is currently studying Global Health at the University of Toronto, his cousin said in a Facebook post.

READ MORE: Canadian citizen among those detained in Bangladesh cafe attack: official

Ali Faiyaz Shoumo said Khan was taken hostage in the Holey Artisan Bakery on Saturday morning.

In the incident, attackers held people hostage for over 10 hours before Bangladeshi police stormed the bakery, killing the six attackers.

Twenty hostages were killed in the attack, along with two policemen. It’s been called the most violent in a series of religiously-motivated attacks that have recently hit the normally moderate nation.

READ MORE: 28 killed, including 6 attackers, during hostage crisis in Bangladesh

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Dhaka Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said Tuesday authorities are still questioning some of the former hostages. He declined to provide more details about the investigation.

A second official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation said authorities are looking into the backgrounds of the five people as well as questioning their families and friends.

Shoumo says Khan is one of those still being detained. He says Khan has been held in police custody for over 72 hours.

“We can only imagine what he is going through after experiencing such a horrific incident,” Shoumo shared on Facebook. “We would want the police to look unbiasedly at his case and let him return to his families.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We can only imagine what he is going through after experiencing such a horrific incident," Shoumo shared on Facebook. "We would want the police to look unbiasedly at his case and let him return to his families."

Shoumo also says Khan’s mother is “in agony,” since she was the one who asked Khan to take a detour to Dhaka to visit her during Eid. Khan was said to be head to Nepal for an internship with UNICEF.

READ MORE: Bangladeshi police name attackers, all from ‘rich families’, in hostage situation

Rachna Mishra, spokesperson for Global Affairs, told Global News that as of Tuesday night there were no reports of a “Canadian citizen affected‎ or detained following the attack.”

But she also said the Privacy Act prevents her from sharing further information, and Global Affairs is continuing to monitor the situation.

Canadians are taking up the call for action to help Khan; many have joined a Free Tahmid Facebook group calling for his release.

*With files from the Associated Press