Bangladesh extends detention of Toronto student as photos surface of him holding gun

Ina T-shirt emblazoned with ared maple leaf, Tahmid Khan was led to a Bangladeshi court Saturday, where a judge authorized police to continue holding the University of Toronto student in connection with a deadly caf attack claimed by ISIS that killed 20 hostages.

The six-day extension comes aboutone week after Bangladeshi police announced that the 22-year-old had been arrested, seeking permission from the court to question him alongwith British national Hasnat Karim, 47, for 10 days.

Friends and family of the Canadian permanentresident have vigorously maintained that Khanhas been held in police custody since the July 1attack, andisinnocent.

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"They don't have to articulate to the court what the suspicion is, whether they haveany evidence," lawyerMarlysEdwardhtold CBC News of the Bangladeshi authorities.

"They're not obliged to do anything more than saying, 'We have a suspicion and we'd like a few more days to investigate.'That's what happened today."

Saturday's decision followedon the publication ofphotosinthe Dhaka Tribuneapparently showing Khan holding a gun on the rooftop of the Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant, along with one of the suspects in the attack. Security forces would later storm the restaurant on July 2, killing the gunmen and rescuing the remaining 13 hostages.

'Playing detective in their heads'

Edwardh, along with Khan's friends, says the photos were released without context.

Edwardh argues that "there was evidence from other witnesses that hehad been ordered to pick up a gun."She says it was one of Khan's two female friends who chose the bakery that day.

University of Toronto student JoshGrondin agrees.

"People see this picture, they're jumping to conclusions, sort of playing detective in their heads thinking that they know more about the investigation," Grondin says.

"Anyone that has known him for five seconds knows that he's not capable of doing something like this ...To have people who don't know him think so poorly of him, it's just very hard to see someone that you love so much go through something like this."

Edwardh, who maintains Khan only arrived in Bangladesh that morning to visit his parents for Eid, is equally sceptical he was involved in the attack.

"Has he had any military training? No. Has he ever had any interest in weapons? No The man who was there loves his guitar, not weapons," she saysof Khan, the brother of her client and Canadian citizen Talha Khan.

"There is not, really, from our perspective a remote chance or possibility he's connected to what happened at the bakery, other than being one of the hostages."

It's a refrain echoed by friend Rusaro Nyinawumwami, who travelled with Khan to Italy in 2013 on a summer abroad trip through the university, from which he was set to graduate next year. She describes him as"forward thinking, very open-minded, a feminist, a student ...He is one of us."

Nyinawumwami and Grondin haveorganizeda social media campaign in support of Khan, andhope the Canadian government will continue to push for Khan to receive a fair trial.

'The world is watching'

The federal government hasconfirmed that officials have been in contact with Bangladeshi authorities about the case, but says there are limits on what it can do in any case involving someone who's not a Canadian citizen.

"If this were remotely connected to Canadian legal proceedings, there would be not a doubt in my mind for a second that he'd be walking out the door," Edwardh says, acknowledging the limitations.

Edwardh has called on the University of Toronto to write a letter in support of Khan to the Bangladeshi High Commissioner in Ottawa;theuniversity has confirmed it will besubmitting a letter Monday.

In the meantime, she hopes the federal government will continue to do what it can tosecure Khan's release.

"I am very hopeful that they will continue to send a message to the Bangladeshi authorities which is nothing less than, 'the world is watching.'"