In another development, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has finalised a charge sheet, accusing Abdur Rahman, Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai [JMJB operations commander], Rahman's brother Ataur Rahman alias Sunny, and 12 other JMB members of exploding bombs at seven points across Kushtia town on August 17.

It would be the first-ever charge sheet to accuse top militants like Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai.

In the capital, Abu Taleb alias Babul Ansari, assistant security officer of the parliament secretariat, and four others of his organisation 'Allahr Dal' were taken on a five-day remand each yesterday.

Earlier on Wednesday night, two more members of the organisation were arrested in Meherpur.

Our correspondent from Netrakona reports: Netrakona police arrested Sumon, 27, at his brother-in-law's house in Netrakona town round about midnight Wednesday.

"Two or three days ago, our chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman called me on my mobile phone and asked me get prepared for carrying out another round of bomb attacks at the end of Ramadan," a police official yesterday quoted the Netrakona detainee, Kawser Alam Sumon, as saying.

Sumon yesterday confessed that he had co-ordinated the August 17 blasts in Netrakona, Kishoreganj and Mymensingh districts.

During the raid, police seized video cassettes containing footage of Afghan and Chechen wars and speeches of Osama bin Laden and Sumon's mobile set from the house.

They also held Sumon's sister Beauty, 22, for suspected links to militancy. She has admitted to being a member of JMB.

Sumon under interrogation also said he is not at all worried for being detained. "I won't worry even if I'm to be executed as I have dedicated myself to bringing about an Islamic revolution across the globe," an investigator quoted Sumon as saying.

He was placed on a seven-day remand by a Netrakona court yesterday. Police however produced him before the Netrakona Magistrate's Court with a petition for a 10-day remand.

Sumon also disclosed to the interrogators many important things about JMB ranks styled Ehsars [Bachelors sworn not to return home before completing a mission] and Gayre Ehsars [the organisers], sources said.

Besides his sister, Sumon said, his younger brother Zakaria Alam Dipon too is a member of JMB.

Son of Abdur Razzak of Maowa village in Gouripur upazila of Mymensingh, Sumon told police that he had exploded the bombs at the directive of his leader Abdur Rahman. Razzak is a local leader of Ahle Hadith Andolan Bangladesh, police sources said.

Our correspondent from Kushtia adds: The CID has included in the charge sheet names of 26 people as the prosecution witnesses. The charge sheet, which could not be placed before court due to government holiday, is likely to be submitted on Sunday.

Assistant Superintendent of CID Munshi Atiqur Rahman in the charge sheet remarked that outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP)-Janajuddhdho faction had connived with the banned Islamist outfit to stage the August 17 blasts, said sources.

He also mentioned that the August 17 attacks were in reprisal for the government ban on JMB and JMJB.

Of the charge-sheeted accused, Shamsul Islam and Akbar Ali remain detained in police custody. The others are Nizamul, Siddiqur Rahman, Habibur Rahman, Lutfur, Mashiur, Enam and Shahadat.

In Dhaka, police produced Babul Ansari and his accomplices-- Giasuddin Azad, Mizanur Rahman Badsha, Saimum and Azizul Haque -- before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka with a petition for 10-day remand for each.

In the forwarding, they said they have already gathered significant leads about the serial blasts from the detainees during the previous remand. "They need to be further interrogated for more information, especially the details about the others involved in the countrywide bombings," mentioned the forwarding report.

Meanwhile, police arrested two activists of 'Allahr Dal' in Meherpur Sadar upazila on Wednesday night, our Kushtia correspondent adds.

The arrestees were identified as Samad alias Humayun, 22, and Milon Hossain. A police team raided the houses of the two at Kalaidanga village and made the arrests, following up the information dispatched from the police headquarters in Dhaka.

Our Staff Correspondent from Khulna adds: Detective Branch (DB) of Khulna district police has made a major break through in the investigation of August 17 blast after interrogating Mahbubur Rahman Liton alias Palash.

Palash was brought to Khulna on Tuesday from Satkhira District Jail. He had been shown arrested in a case filed in connection with the August 17 blasts on Khulna University (KU) campus.

JMB cadres Shahidullah and Palash were interrogated together on Wednesday night. Both identified each other as participants in the August 17 blasts in Khulna.

They told the interrogators that Asaduzzaman Asad alias Moulana Arif, the operations commander of JMB, was in charge of operations in Khulna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira districts. Arif is his fake name. Five months ago, he was arrested along with 25 other JMB cadres in his home district Barguna. But came out on bail along with the other militant operatives after two weeks of the arrests. On release from Barguna District Jail, he settled in Khulna to regroup the dispersed JMB cadres.

The two also described Asaduzzaman, aka Arif as the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks in Greater Khulna on August 17. From Khulna, he sent bombs to Bagerhat and Satkhira on August 16.

Palash told police during interrogation on Wednesday night that materials for making 50 bombs were received on August 14 from Khulna office of Continental Courier Service. Twelve bombs were sent to Bagerhat, 15 were kept for Khulna while the remainder were sent to Satkhira on the morning of August 16.

He [Palash] said JMB cadre Feroz was responsible for detonating the bombs on the KU campus.

Palash whose real name is Mahbubur Rahman Liton hails from Sutarkhali under Dakop upazila of Khulna.

Inspector Rezaul Islam of DB said Asaduzzaman Asad aka Arif had also served as Khulna district ameer of JMB. A team of DB officers left Khulna yesterday evening for Barguna to search for Asaduzzaman alias Arif.