Charge sheets were submitted to courts in Natore, Bogra, Chapainawabganj, Chandpur and Cox's Bazar yesterday, accusing Shaikh Abdur Rahman, Bangla Bhai and others in the August 17 serial bomb blasts across the country.

Natore police in its charge sheet accused eight top militants, including most wanted Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Abdur Rahman, his son-in-law Abdul Awal Samad and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) operations commander Bangla Bhai, for the four bomb blasts in the town on August 17.

The five other accused are Chapainawabganj JMB leader Shahidullah, who is in Rajshahi jail, and JMB cadres Delwar Hossain Mithu, Hafizur Rahman, and Bangla Bhai associates Shihab and Abdul Matin, who are in Natore jail.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Natore Sadar Police Station and investigating officer (IO) of the blasts case Syed Emdadul Haque said in the charge sheet filed under the Explosive Substances Act of 1908 that the arrestees named Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai as the masterminds behind the blasts.

Abdul Awal, who evaded arrest during a police raid on the Mirpara den of the militants in Natore on September 16 night, supervised the blasts in Natore at the direction of Rahman and Bangla Bhai, the charge sheet said.

Natore police arrested Delwar, Hafizur, Shihab and Matin during the raid with huge bomb-making materials and books on jihad.

UNB adds: Of the six charge sheeted accused in Bogra, Abdur Razzak is in custody while the five others remain fugitive.

In Chapainawabganj, ten persons were charge sheeted, of whom Abul Kashem, Shahadat Hossain, Abdullah Al Mamoon, Shahidullah and Tufan are in custody.

In the Chandpur charge sheet, police accused 14 JMB activists, of whom five are in custody.

In Cox's Bazar, charge sheet was submitted against six persons.