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Tahmid Hasib Khan, who survived a horrific hostage-taking in Bangladesh, has been detained by authorities since the attack.HO/The Canadian Press

The family of a University of Toronto student who has been detained in Bangladesh since surviving a deadly terrorist attack but whose whereabouts are now unknown is pleading for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene, fearing for his safety and well-being.

Tahmid Hasib Khan, 22, a permanent resident of Canada, has been in custody since the July 1 attack in Dhaka that left 20 hostages dead and he has had no contact with his family for almost a week.

Their last exchange consisted of a package of food sent to him last Wednesday by his mother. She had spoken to him on the phone the previous day, when he told her he was okay and had not been mistreated in any way.

After flying into Dhaka on July 1 to spend the Muslim holiday of Eid with his family, Mr. Khan was meeting two female friends for dinner in the capital city's diplomatic quarter when a group of heavily armed attackers stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery.

During a tense hostage situation that lasted almost 11 hours, Mr. Khan was reportedly pulled in by the attackers, at times being asked to carry a gun and accompany them to the roof. At about 6 a.m. on July 2, he was released, along with at least seven other survivors and immediately taken in by police for questioning.

The Islamic State militant group later claimed responsibility for the attack, carried out by five young Bangladeshi men, many of whom were identified as members of wealthy families.

Mr. Khan's brother, Talha Khan, a Canadian citizen who lives in Toronto, said the family has been aware for a week that Mr. Khan is no longer detained by Dhaka Metropolitan Police, confirming media reports from the weekend. A contact within the Dhaka police department allowed the family to communicate with Mr. Khan while he was in their custody.

A few days later, someone from another agency called Mr. Khan's father to confirm that he was being detained by them, offering no other information.

"We were assured that he was being kept in an air-conditioned room and that he was given food. That's important because he does suffer from epilepsy, and he needs some assistance with his environment to make sure he's safe," said Marlys Edwardh, a lawyer for Talha Khan.

Ms. Edwardh said his family and friends are extremely concerned that Mr. Khan is being detained incommunicado.

"No one is in touch with him, we do not know the circumstances of his detention, we do not know the why of his detention, there have been no charges," she said. "We do not know precisely the agency nor do we know precisely the location [where he is being held]."

Talha Khan said their father, a business owner based in Dhaka, has been hospitalized with severe chest pains because of the stress of his son's situation and continues to be under close surveillance.

In a statement to The Globe and Mail, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada confirmed that there were no reports of Canadian citizens affected or detained following the Dhaka attack. "However, we continue to monitor the situation closely," the statement said. "There are limits to what any country can do for individuals who are not citizens of that country."

Ms. Edwardh said her office had not been contacted by the department since she sent a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion last week appealing for Ottawa to get involved in ensuring Mr. Khan's rights as a detainee are protected.

"We are fully understanding of the fact that, because Tahmid is not a Canadian citizen, that the provision of consular affairs is very much within the discretion of our government, but nothing prohibits their involvement," she said. "All we have had, quite frankly, is silence."

Ms. Edwardh said she has now sent a letter to Mr. Trudeau, appealing for him to get involved in bringing Mr. Khan home safe and sound.

"I'm appealing for [the Prime Minister] to get involved. I'm asking that he instruct Global Affairs to take a position that supports this young man's safety and security, and to speak to the authorities in Bangladesh."

The Bangladesh High Commissioner in Ottawa has also not responded to Ms. Edwardh's letter. Her hope is that the Canadian government can act as a watchdog to ensure Mr. Khan's safety and allow him to communicate with his family while the investigation is under way.

"The government of Canada should let the government of Bangladesh know that this matter is of some significance to them, and that they expect Tahmid to be treated in accordance with international law," Ms. Edwardh said. "He should not continue to be held incommunicado. Incommunicado detention has all the hallmarks of an improper, unfair process."

That fear is far from unfounded. Just last month, Human Rights Watch urged Bangladeshi officials to put an end to thousands of "arbitrary arrests" after a spate of murders of non-Muslim and LGBTQ people. In many cases, authorities failed to inform the families of those detained and provide their location or access to legal counsel.

"Given the well-documented history of impunity for torture and other custodial abuse in Bangladesh, there is a real risk of harm during detention and interrogation," said the group's report, referring to a "familiar pattern" adopted by local law enforcement toward prisoners.

Mr. Khan's family says it has every confidence that he will be found innocent and understands the need for an investigation following the attack. But they are pleading for a chance to be able to speak to him.

"We were not concerned with these things when my parents were in contact with him," Talha Khan said. "Ever since the contact has been cut off, these concerns are creeping up in our hearts and it's only natural that they will."

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