A Dhaka court today accepted the charges against 33 people, including members of the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies, in the case filed over the murders of Awami Leader Jahidul Islam Tipu and Samia Afran Jamal Prity in March last year.
After that, the magistrate issued arrest warrants against nine people -- including two top-listed criminals Zeesan Ahmed alias Monti and Jafar Ahmed Manik alias Freedom Manik -- as they were shown as ''fugitives'' in the charge sheet.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury passed the order after scrutinising case dockets and other relevant documents.
The magistrate directed officer-in-charge of Shahjahanpur Police Station to submit by August 17 the progress report on execution of the arrest warrants issued against the fugitives.
Md Yasin Sikder, a DB inspector, also the investigation officer of the case, on June 5 submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.
On March 24 last year, the criminals opened fire at Tipu's car in the capital's Shahjahanpur area, leaving the AL leader and college student Prity dead.
Tipu was the former general secretary of Motijheel AL.
Dhaka city (south) AL Organising Secretary Golam Ashraf Talukder; its member Maruf Ahmed Mansoor, also the ward-10 councillor of Dhaka South City Corporation; former general secretary of Motijheel Thana Chhatra League Khairul Islam; and Motijheel thana Jatiya Party leader Juber Alam Khan Robin are among the 33 chargesheeted accused.
