Jamir Uddin Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Joypurhat Police Station, with the home ministry nod secretly handed over the charge-sheet to court Sub-inspector Abdus Salam last night, reports our Rajshahi staff correspondent.

Salam places the charge-sheet today before a first class magistrate's court.

The charge-sheet submission was scheduled for October 1, but it was delayed on the last moment instructions of a local BNP lawmaker for dropping Ahab adherents' names.

A few keymen of the alliance government persuaded by the Ahab activists now on the run had also lobbied in this connection.

Among the 39 arrestees in the case, 21 militants were accused under Sections 3, 4 and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act. Seven of the charge-sheeted accused are on the run.

Fugitive Hafizar Rahman, Ahab central finance secretary, was made principal accused in the charge-sheet as he masterminded and financed the district's seven blasts.

The arrested accused are Shafikul Islam, chief of Ahab's cultural wing Al Hera Shilpi Gosthi, Bazla Ahab mosque Imam Hafez Shafikul Islam, Ahab adherents Azizul Bari Mintu, Jahangir Alam, Rabiul Islam, rickshawpuller Atwar Rahman, Dulal Hossain, Majnu Mia, Abdul Mabud, Dulal Hossain, Mozammel Haque, Idris Ali, Md Selim, Abdul Jabbar, Aminul Islam, Ziaur Rahman, Rezwan Bari, Mustafizur Rahman, Hobibor Rahman Hobi and Afaz Uddin Poheli.

The accused at large include Montezar Rahman and Golam Mostafa.

Militant kingpin Asadullah Al Galib, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai were mentioned as top militant leaders, but were not accused in the charge-sheet.

"Bangla Bhai is not their leader, he had just led the anti-outlaw operations in Rajshahi zone. There are many like Bangla Bhai inside Ahab and JMB," said an investigator quoting statements of the Joypurhat militants.

He said Ahab has two wings -- one open and political and another underground. "The August 17 attacks were targeted to free Galib from jail," the investigator said asking not to be named.

Some of the accused including Dulal, Azizul, Jahangir and Rabiul gave confessional statements before magistrates.

Azizul in his statement said 10 people were involved in the blasts and Hafizar Rahman funded and directed them.

He also said the bombs were distributed through the Bazla Ahab mosque.

Hafizar, superintendent of Sikta Madrasa in Kalai upazila, went into hiding after extorting about Tk 50,000 from local traders on August 14.

He had submitted an application to the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), seeking several months' leave with a recommendation of ruling BNP lawmaker Abu Yusuf Khalilur Rahman.

The UNO was stand-released for not granting Hafizar the leave.

KHULNA
Our Khulna staff correspondent adds: JMB cadre Shahidullah alias Lokman was remanded for 10 days yesterday in two cases filed with Khulna and Batiaghata police stations.

He was brought to Khulna from Dhaka Central Jail on Friday and shown arrested in the cases in connection with the blasts on the Judges' Court compound and Khulna University campus.

Police said he confessed to his involvement in the court compound blast after they had made 50 bombs.

Meantime, Bagerhat police arrested two JMB cadres -- Kalim Molla, 30, and Jasim Molla, 24, sons of Hekmat Molla of Uttar Kandi village in the district -- at Al Khalid Hostel in Daulatpur in the city on Sunday night.

The OC of Mollahat Police Station said Bangla Bhai came to their house to train madrasa students in August 2002. Police arrested Bangla Bhai along with six JMJ cadres with bomb making materials, army uniforms and other things.

But a Bagerhat court released them on bail as the investigation officer submitted the final report in favour of the accused.

GAIBANDHA
Ahab chief Galib will be hauled before the District Judge's Court today in connection with the Takierbazar bomb blast case, reports our Gaibandha correspondent.

The court will hear the charge against the six accused including Galib in the case. Two of them are out on bail, while Galib and three others are behind bars.

On December 25 last year, four bombs went off at a Jatra (folk drama) show in Takierbazar in Palashbari upazila.

A petition seeking Galib's bail will be moved during the trial, said a defence lawyer.