U.C. Berkeley Student Killed in Bangladesh Attack

A sophomore at the University of California in Berkeley was one of the 20 hostages killed in a terrorist attack at a cafe in the Bangladeshi capital in Dhaka, the university said.

Tarishi Jain, an Indian national, was working on e-commerce growth at Eastern Bank Limited in Dhaka through an internship with UC Berkeley’s Subir and Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies, a statement from the university said.

She began the internship in early June.

Sushma Swaraj, India's Minister for External Affairs, confirmed the news on Twitter earlier Saturday.

Swaraj said she had spoken to Tarishi's father, Sanjeev Jain, and her remains will be brought back to India by Monday.

“We are all very devastated to hear the news about Tarishi Jain. She was a smart and ambitious young woman with a big heart. Our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and the entire Berkeley community,” Sanchita Saxena, executive director of the Institute for South Asia Studies and director of the Center for Bangladesh Studies, said in a statement.

Jain graduated from the American International School in Dhaka and came to UC Berkeley in 2014. She intended to major in economics.

Two Emory University students were also killed in the attack.

Gunmen took hostages in the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe on Friday before troops stormed the cafe roughly 12 hours later. At least 20 hostages and six militants were killed and another 13 hostages were rescued by authorities. Two police officers were also killed in the attack.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Most killed in the attack were foreigners, including nine Italian nationals. The cafe was popular among foreigners.

Image via UC Berkeley