An anti-terrorism tribunal in Dhaka will judge the case over the 2016 attack on an upscale cafe at Gulshan that left 20 diners, including 17 foreigners, killed.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Saifuzzaman Hero forwarded the case to the tribunal on Thursday after receiving the chargesheet in which the police named eight suspects.
Earlier in the day, the police pressed the charges in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nurunnahar Yasmin who forwarded it to CMM Saifuzzaman for his observation, Mohammad Anisur Rahman, an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said.
The tribunal is expected to receive the case dossier, including the charge sheet, on Sunday.
The judge, Mujibur Rahman, will then hear arguments of the prosecution and defence to decide whether to accept charges pressed by police on Monday.
The maximum penalty is death or life sentence and minimum 20 years jail term for the charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The tribunal will also hear a petition seeking acquittal of Hasnat Rezaul Karim, who has been in jail since August, 2016, in the case.
The police have not named him as a suspect in the charge sheet, claiming the investigators did not find his involvement in the attack.
The former North South University teacher was among the survivors of the attack, but videos and photos of him speaking to the attackers raised questions.
On Thursday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Fahad Bin Amin Chowdhury rejected his bail plea, Hasib-ur-Rashid, the lawyer for Hasnat Karim, said.
Six of the living suspects are currently in prison, while two are absconding.
Those in custody are Jahangir Alam alias Rajib Gandhi, Rafiqul Islam Rigan, Soheil Mahfuz, Rashedul Islam alias Rash and Hadisur Rahman Sagor.
Warrants have been requested for the arrests of the two fugitives, Shahidul Islam Khaled and Mamunur Rashid Ripon.
Five militants entered the upscale eatery on July 1, 2016 and took those inside hostage. Besides the 20 hostages, two police officers were also killed.
Army commandos eventually stormed the cafe, killing the five attackers - Nibras Islam, Mir Sameeh Mobassher, Rohan Imtiaz, Khairul Islam Payel and Shafiqul Islam Ujjal - ending a siege which had lasted overnight.
Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, identified as the mastermind behind the carnage, his associates Jahidul Islam, Tanvir Qaderi, Nurul Islam Marzan, Abu Rayhan Tarek, Sarwar Jahan, Basharuzzaman alias Chocolate and Chhoto Mizan were killed in anti-terror drives.
In addition to planning and coordinating the attack, some of the suspects trained the attackers and supplied arms and money, according to the police.
The law enforcers have blamed the attack on the revived chapter of radical Islamist group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh or Neo-JMB despite claim of responsibilities by Middle East-based radical group Islamic State.
