Seven Japanese development aid workers and engineers were among those killed in Friday's terrorist attack at an upscale restaurant in Bangladesh, people who wanted to contribute to the development of the South Asian country.

The seven killed and the sole Japanese survivor, who was rescued when police stormed the restaurant, were in Bangladesh as consultants on a project for the Japan International Cooperation Agency, a government agency that implements projects in developing countries financed with Japanese aid.

Of the seven Japanese confirmed to have been killed in the attack, two were women. Yuko Sakai, 42, and Rui Shimodaira, 27, who both worked for the Tokyo-based construction consulting company Almec Corp., were passionate about their work, chosen for the opportunity it provided to help make a difference internationally, according to people who knew them.