A Chittagong court yesterday framed charges against Hefajat-e Islam nayeb-e-ameer Mufti Izharul Islam Chowdhury, his son Harun Bin Izhar and seven others in a case filed in connection with an explosion at a madrasa.
The seven are Abdul Hai, Rabibur Rahman, Md Ishak, Monir Hossain, Abdul Mannan, Tasir Ahmed and Mohammad Junayed.
The blast occurred in a room of a dormitory of Al Jamiatul Ulum Al Islamia Madrasa in the port city's Lalkhan Bazar on October 7, 2013. Three people died in the explosion.
The court of Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge SM Mojibur Rahman framed the charges against the accused after rejecting the discharge petitions of their lawyers, said Public Prosecutor Kamal Uddin Ahmed.
All the accused except Mufti Izharul, who was absconding, were present before the court, the prosecutor said, adding that the court fixed April 28 for starting the trial of the case.
    The same court on March 27 issued arrest warrant for Mufti Izharul in the case as he was not present at the court.
Izharul was on bail from the High Court for eight weeks till March 25, said the court sources.
Terming the case politically motivated, defence lawyer Abdus Sattar told The Daily Star yesterday that they moved the petitions before the court for discharging the accused from the charges.
After the explosion, police recovered four handmade grenades and huge bomb-making materials like iron caps, cylinders, electric cables and 18 bottles of picric acid from madrasa premises.

Metal balls of bearings among the debris after the explosion at Al Jamaiatul Ulum Al Islamia Madrasa in Lalkhan Bazar of Chittagong last year. Photo: File

Two cases -- one under explosive substances act and the other for storing acid -- were filed with Khulshi Police Station on October 8, 2013.
Izharul and his son Harun were made the prime accused in the case filed under explosive substances act.
On February 10, Md Lokman, sub-inspector of Khulshi Police Station and also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet before the court.
According to the charge sheet, explosives were made and kept at the madrasa for conducting subversive activities and creating panic among people.