An anti-terrorism special tribunal in Dhaka on Wednesday convicted seven accused, out of eight, and sentenced them to death in Holey Artisan Cafe attack case.

The tribunal Judge Md Majibur Rahman pronounced the verdict in presence of the eight accused.

The court also acquitted accused Mizanur Rahman alias Baro Mizan from the charges.

The condemned convicts are: Rashedul Islam alias Rash, Jahangir Alam alias Rajib Gandhi, Sohel Mahfuz, Hadisur Rahman Sagar, Rakibul Hasan Regan, Shariful Islam Khaled and Mamunur Rashid Ripon.

The Judge started reading out the verdict at 12:05pm after producing all the accused.

Earlier this morning, a prison van carrying the eight reached Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court area around 10am from Keraniganj Central Jail amid tight security.

Security measures have been beefed up in and around the Dhaka court area and across the country ahead of the verdict.

Militants killed 20 innocent people, most of them foreigners, in the grisly attack in Holey Artisan Bakery in city's upscale Gulshan area on July 1, 2016. Two police officials valiantly laid down their lives while trying to save people there.

Later, five militants were killed in a commando operation.

Police, however, filed the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Gulshan Police Station.

On July 23, 2018, counter terrorism department inspector Humayun Kabir, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the chargesheet before the CMM court. The court, later, ordered to transfer the case to tribunal on July 26.

Of the 21 accused, 13 were acquitted from the case because of their death.