Dhaka: Charges have been framed against 11 suspected militants in a case filed over the killing of eight people during a bank robbery bid at Ashulia in Dhaka in April last year.

District and Sessions Judge ASM Kuddus Zaman on Thursday framed the charges against the accused and fixed February 1 for starting the trial.

The court also rejected the petition moved by the defence lawyers for releasing the accused from the charges.

As the charges were read out before the accused, they pleaded not guilty and sought justice.

The accused are Borhan Uddin, Al Amin, Babul Sarder, Mintu Pradhan, Jasimuddin, Abdul Baten, Mozammel Haque, Ukil Hasan, Mahfuzul Haque, Shahjahan Jamadar and Polash alias Sohel Rana.

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

On January 7, the same court accepted the chargesheet in the murder case in presence of 10 accused.

The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of a fugitive accused, Polash alias Sohel Rana.

On 6 December 2015, Ashulia Police officer-in-charge 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.

On 21 April 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 Limited at Kathgora in Ashulia.