Police have pressed charges against 14 members of a new faction of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (New JMB) over the bombing on a hotel in Dhaka's Panthapath area.
Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court General Recording Officer Sub-Inspector (SI) Shafayatul Islam said: "The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit Inspector Raju Ahmed, also investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet before the court on Monday."
The case has already been sent to Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal for hearing, he added.
On August 15, 2017, a member of New JMB, Saiful Islam, 21, blew himself up at Hotel Olio International on Panthapath, only about 300m away from the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.
The incident took place just three hours after President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and other high-ups of the government paid their respects to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the museum in Dhanmondi on National Mourning Day.
A member of law enforcement agency examines the scene after a bomb blast took place at Hotel Olio International at Panthapath in Dhaka on August 15, 2017 | Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
Among the 14 militant accused in the charge sheet, 10 of them have already delivered confessional statements in court. Militant Saiful Islam has not been named among the accused as he died when he detonated the bomb.
The 14 accused are: Akram Hossain Khan Niloy, his parents Abu Turab Khan and Sadia Hosna Lucky, sister Tazrin Khanom Shuvo, Tanvir Yasin Karim, Tanvir’s wife Humayra Jakir alias Nabila, Abdullah alias Aichan Kabiraj alias Rafik, Abul Kashem Fakir alias Abu, Nazmul Hasan Mamun, Md Tajul Islam alias Choton alias Mohammad alias Fahim, Tarek Mohammad alias Adnan, Lulu Sarder alias Shahid, Kamrul Islam Khan alias Shakil, and Abdullah.
Sources said Niloy, Nabila, Abu Turab, and Lulu Sarder are the only accused who are yet to give confessional statements. Nabila, Abu Turab, Sadia, Tajrin, and Tanvir are currently on bail.
All of the accused were active members of New JMB.
