Dhaka: A court on Thursday took cognisance of the charge sheet against 11 alleged militants in a case filed over the killing of eight people during a bank robbery at Ashulia in Dhaka in April 2015.

Judge of the District and Session’s Judge Court ASM Kuddus Zaman accepted the charge sheet in the murder case in the presence of 10 accused.

The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of a fugitive and accused Palash alias Sohel Rana, and fixed 18 January for starting the charge-framing hearing.

On 6 December 2015, officer-in-charge of Ashulia Police Station Dipak Kumar Saha, also investigation officer of the case, submitted two charge sheets—one for the killing and the robbery, and the other for possessing explosives—against the 11 militants.

The charge-sheeted accused are Burhan Uddin, Al-Amin, Babul Sarder, Mintu Pradhan, Jasimuddin, Abdul Baten, Mozammel Haque, Ukil Hasan, Mahfujul Haque, Shahjahan Jamadar and Palash alias Sohel Rana.

They are alleged members of banned Islamist outfits Ansarullah Bangla Team and Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh.

On April 21, 2015, at least eight people, including the bank manager and a robber, were killed and 23 others injured during a robbery bid at a branch of Bangladesh Commerce Bank Ltd at Kathgora in Ashulia.