In the first information report (FIR) filed with Tongi Police Station, Motiur Rahman named Dipu, a central committee leader of the Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Shahidul Islam Shipu and Wahidul Islam Bipu as the main accused in the case.

He also accused 16 others of the gruesome murder in a Friday shootout at Noagaon in Tongi. They are Kana Hafiz, Anwar Hossain Anu, Faisal, Shohag, Bulu Mian, Al-Amin, Ratan Mian, Ronnie, Sohel, Syed Ahmed Mojnu, Mahbub, Monir, Dulal and Jahangir.

Dipu plotted the killing of the AL lawmaker, Motiur said in the FIR.

A group of about 15 assailants gunned down Ahsanullah and schoolboy Omar Faruq Ratan and wounded five others in a burst of gunfire at the ward-level conference of AL's volunteers' wing Shechchhasebak League at 12:30pm Friday.

Noor Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Tongi Police Station, told reporters that none of the accused has been arrested. He added at least 60 people have been held for their suspected links with the murder since the firing at the conference of Awami Sechchasebok League, the volunteers' front of the main opposition Awami League, that killed the MP.

Yasmin Gafur, superintendent of police, Tongi, said, "We will try to nab the accused as soon as possible." She hinted that as it is a major incident of murder, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police is likely to take up the case.

Local BNP leaders, meanwhile, at a press conference at Tongi Press Club yesterday protested the inclusion of Dipu's name on the list of accused in the murder case.

They refuted the Jubo Dal leader's involvement in the killing and alleged that the AL was diverting people's attention to different directions for political gains.

Hasan Uddin Sarkar, former BNP MP and elder brother of Dipu, who himself is facing allegations of having a hand in the murder, however, claimed that all other accused except for his brother were criminals.

On a question, the BNP district unit leader said the accused were involved in anti-social activities. He also demanded that his brother's name be immediately removed from the FIR.

The former lawmaker condemned the killing of Ahsanullah Master and demanded trial of the killers under existing laws.

State-run news agency BSS quoted Hasan Uddin as refuting the allegations of his involvement in the shootout. The killing was an outcome of intra-party rivalry of the AL and he had nothing to do with it, .

He also called for a probe into what he said was politically-motivated and pre-planned violence which followed the bloody shootout on Friday.

UNB adds: Train service on Mymensingh, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Rajshahi and Khulna routes were restored yesterday morning after repair of the railway bridge damaged by a mob after the killing of Ahsanullah.

But the automatic signal system at Tongi station damaged in arson attacks in the wake of the killing could not be restored and a manual signal system was introduced to meet the emergency.