Dhaka, July 1 -- Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali says he does not see any presence of militants in Bangladesh on the anniversary of the grisly Holey Artisan attack that sent shockwaves across the globe.

"There are no militants in Bangladesh. There are only robbers," he said.

On Jul 1, 2016, a group of five young militants stormed into the Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant in Dhaka's Gulshan armed with pistols, submachine guns and sharp weapons.

They killed 20 people, including 17 foreign nationals inside.

Among the dead were nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, two Bangladeshis, and one Bangladeshi-American. In addition, two police officers were killed while responding to the attack.

Amid the ris...