The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit have moved to press charges against 14 operatives of the militant outfit 'Neo JMB' over the suicide blast that took place at Dhaka's Panthapath on Aug 15, 2017.
"We found involvement of 15 militants, including Saiful Islam who died in a blast during the raid. Charge-sheet against the 14 has been finalised. Of them, 10 have given the confessional statements to the court," said Monirul Islam, chief of CTTC unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
The charge sheet has been forwarded to the home ministry for clearance, he added.
The 14 suspects to be charged are Akram Hossain Khan Niloy, mastermind of the attack, Tanveer Yasin Kabir, Abu Turab Khan, Sadia Hosna Lucky, Humaira Zakir Nabila, Tazreen Khanam Shubh, Abdullah alias Aychan Kabiraz, Abul Kashem Fakir, Lulu Sardar alias Shahid Mistul Hasan Mumon, Tajul, Najul, Kamrul Islam Shakil, and Tarique Md Adnan.
Saiful, 21, from Khulna's Dumuria, blew himself up when a team of CTTC conducted 'Operation August Bite' at Hotel Olio International in Panthapath, a couple of hundred feet away from Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka's Dhanmondi.
The CTTC had moved to prevent a possible suicide bomb attack on a procession observing National Mourning Day on Aug 15, the day Bangabandhu and most of his family were brutally assassinated in 1975.
According to investigating officers, Niloy, who was the then-chief Neo JMB, planned the attack and instructed Saiful to take a position at the hotel. The militants used 'Dark Web and Telegram channel' to communicate among themselves, they said.
A day before the CTTC raid, the outfit's explosive expert suspect Mamun supplied explosives to Saiful at the city's Abdullahpur area. Later, Saiful checked in to the hotel with a suicide vest to carry out an attack on the crowd who joined Aug 15 memorial.
Niloy was the masterminded of the blast while Tanvir, Abu Turab, Sadia, Humayira, and Tazreen were financiers of the attack, Monir said adding Nabia, Abu Turab, Sadia, Tazreen, and Niloy came from the same family.
"This whole family was involved in militancy," the police official added.
Of the 14, Abul Kasem, Lulu Sardar, and Tazul Islam have been charged with supplying bomb-making materials, said Monir befoe adding Nazmul made the bomb at a Dhaka den.
While, Abdullah, Kamrul and Tareque, and Abdullah alias Aychan face charges on cooperating and sheltering the militants, said Monirul.