Officer-in-Charge of Muktagachha Police Station in Mymensingh Police Inspector Sheikh Mahbubur Rahman filed the case with Mymensingh Cognisance Court yesterday afternoon on orders of the home ministry Wednesday.

The court ordered Muktagachha police to investigate the case.

The much-anticipated case was filed in Mymensingh as the law enforcers learnt that the decision to carry out blasts across the country on August 17 last year was taken at a meeting there between June and August. The militants decided to go for such a huge scale terrorist act mainly 'to get the message about their strength over to the government'.

Those who have been charged with sedition include JMB chief Abdur Rahman ibne Abdullah alias Ehsan, Siddiqul Islam alias Azizur Rahman alias Azizul Islam Litu alias Omar alias Bangla Bhai, Rahman's brother Ataur Rahman Sunny alias Sajid, Rahman's son-in-law Abdul Awal Sarker alias Adil alias Asif alias Arafat, Salahuddin alias Salehin, Mahmud alias Hafez Mahmud alias Rakib Hasan alias Russell and Khaled Saifullah alias Amjad alias Faruk Hossain.

The accused were involved in an ill attempt to unseat the government and establish Shariah rule by force, says the first information report (FIR).

"Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh is determined to oust the government and establish Shariah law by force. To attain the goals, they have been stockpiling firearms and ammunition, staging blasts, killing and injuring the common people, and damaging public property.

"They have been engaged in conspiracy to dislodge the government and destroy the state structure by creating public hatred towards the existing laws and the government through leaflets and other means," reads the FIR.

It said JMB chief Abdur Rahman met the other six and Shakil alias Mollah Omar at the house of Abdul Hamid in Kheruajani Syed village of Muktagachha at around 2:00pm in June last year. Shakil alias Mollah Omar died during a Rab operation in Comilla on March 13.

Discussing the government's banning their outfit, the militant leaders observed that they would have to strike throughout the country on a specific day to make the government take notice of their military might, and thus gave the indication that they were intent on ousting the government, said the FIR.

"JMB's objective to establish Shariah law can be fulfilled by stirring up public hatred of the government. And such hatred can be caused by creating anarchy, launching assaults on key installations including court buildings simultaneously," the FIR quoted from the observations made at the meeting.

The decision of the meeting is part of the conspiracy, it said, adding that the militants reached their primary goal by making near-simultaneous bomb attacks and distributing leaflets in 63 districts on August 17 last year.

JMB units across the country later started implementing various other programmes in line with its central decision.

The JMB has committed sedition by perpetrating countrywide blasts with an aim to cause hatred in public minds and incite them to oust a legal government, said the FIR.

The case was filed under sections 120-B, 121, 121-A, 122 and 124 of Penal Code. If found guilty, the accused might face capital punishment under the sections.

Mahmudul Alam alias Bachchu Mia of Kheruajani Syed village in Muktagachha has been made witness.

No charge was brought against Shakil alias Mollah Omar of Delduar, Tangail as he died in Rab action on Monday.

The complainant said filing of the case in the light of the information gathered so far was delayed for completing the formalities on getting permission of the authorities concerned.

After the JMB supremo's capture in Sylhet, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan had told reporters that he would be tried under the existing laws and the charges against him are 'very effective'.

Saying that the law does not provide for strict punishments for sedition, he said, adding that if needed, sedition charges might also be brought against the militant ideologue.

But on his return from Singapore and Japan, State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar said Rahman and all his associates would soon be charged with sedition.