The case under the Explosive Substances Act was filed with Ramna Police Station against the two for possessing powerful bomb hidden in a sweetmeat packet and a small bouquet on December 31 last year.

The accused are Hafez Ahmed Kader Mainuddin alias Uday, 21, of Hathazari in Chittagong and Sheikh Arif Uddin alias Hakim, 30, of Kachua in Bagerhat.

After completion of arguments from the prosecution and the defence, Judge Mohammad Helal Chowdhury of the Special Tribunal-12 will pronounce the verdict at 1:00pm, court sources said.

Earlier, the court recorded statements of 14 out of 22 prosecution witnesses in three workdays.

The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested the two JMB men in the city and seized a powerful bomb from one of them.

The law enforcers came to learn that a member of the JMB suicide squad would carry out attack in the capital. On December 30, the elite force became confirmed that the bomber had reached the capital.

The members of Rab-2 arrested madrasa student Uday while he was getting into a taxicab at Maghbazar at around 2:00pm with the bomb hidden in a sweetmeat packet and a small bouquet.

Following leads from Uday, the Rab men raided Eastern Plaza at Hatirpool and arrested another JMB member Arif.

Dismantling the bomb, Rab officials found two small bottles of diesel, 40 ball bearings and 45 barbed wires. A circuit, a switch and pencil batteries were fitted with the bomb by electric wire.

A student of Jamia Ahmedia Sunnia Hefzokhana at Hathazari in Chittagong, Uday rented room No. 113 at Hotel Sebika in Moghbazar at around 10:30am on that day.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Mahfuzur Rahman Patwary appeared for the state while no lawyers stood on behalf of the accused.