Charge sheet filed against 9 JMB men

Bogra police have placed a charge sheet in the case filed for the last year's gun attack at a Shia mosque in Shibganj upazila against nine JMB men to a district court.

The reason behind the attack, which Islamic State claimed to have links to, was Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh's disapproval of religious practices and norms of the Shia sect and its ideology, said Investigation Officer Md Kamruzzaman Mia. 

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Kawsar, military commander of four districts of the northern region, along with five other JMB men -- Anwar, Sultan allies Rana, Tarek, Yeasin and Hamidul -- held three meetings at a place in Mohasthangarh and at the houses of Yeasin and Hamidul to plan the attack.

Among them, Kawsar, Anwar, Sultan and Tarek have already been killed in encounters with law enforcers, said the inspector of Shibganj Police Station.

The charge-sheeted accused are Yeasin Ali, 40, of Shotahar village of sadar upazila in Joypurhat; Amdadul Haque, 28, Abdul Based, 27, and Abdul Hamid, 22, of Atmul village under Shibganj upazila; Khademul Islam, 24, Azad Pramanik, 24, of Gordaha village under Gabtoli; Abdul Momin Mondal, 25, of Kamarpara village, and Rajibul Islam, 26, of Brikustia village under Shajahanpur upazila; and Azadul Kabiraz allies Biplob, 32, of Tindaha Pacchimpara of sadar upazila in Gaibandha district.

Of them, Amdadul, Based, Momin, and Yeasin have been arrested and are now in jail while the rest are absconding.

Yeasin has given a confessional statement regarding the mosque attack before a magistrate.

The IO told this correspondent that he placed the charge sheet before a senior judicial magistrate court in Bogra on January 18. The court fixed March 08 as the hearing date.

In the attack at the Shia mosque at Chokkanupur village of Shibganj on November 26 last year, the muajjin was killed and at least four others were injured.

Following the attack, Shona Mia, of the local Shia community, filed a case against unidentified people.