A Dhaka court framed on Thursday charges against 13 operatives of the banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji), including its chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, in a case filed under the Explosives Substances Act in connection with the grenade attack on a CPB rally in the capital in 2001, report agencies.
Dhaka Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes framed the charges and fixed October 23 for starting the trial.
Mufti Hannan, Maulana Sabbir, Maulana Sheikh Farid, Mufti Moinuddin and Arif Hasan were in the dock during the charge framing.
Eight other accused-Abdul Hye, Shafiqur Rahman, Jahangir Alam, Md Ishaq, Mahbub Mustakim, Anisur and Sirajul Islam-are on the run.
On November 27, 2013, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against them in two cases-one filed for killing and another under the Explosive Substances Act.
Eight people were killed and 52 others injured as bombs were set off at Paltan Maidan and Bangabandhu Avenue when a rally of Communist Party of Bangladesh was in progress there on January 20, 2001.
Later, then CPB president Manzurul Ahsan Khan filed a case in this connection.
Two years after the attack, police's Crime Investigation Department (CID) had submitted a final report on Dec 17, 2003 accusing none.
On Jan 27, 2005, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate asked the authorities to re-investigate the matter following a petition for fresh probe into the cases.
Investigating officer, CID inspector Mrinal Kanti Saha submitted the charge-sheet on Nov 27 last year, accusing the 13 of being involved.
On Thursday, the judge read out the charges against them in the presence of Hannan and five others.
