Bangladesh was on the boil today as at least 32 people, including three policemen, were killed and scores injured in violence after a top leader of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami was sentenced to death for ‘crimes against humanity’ during the 1971 liberation war.
The violence followed the verdict of the special Bangladeshi tribunal that handed down death penalty to Delwar Hossain Sayedee, vice-president of the party, amid a nationwide shutdown called by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
The court verdict triggered street violence across the country leaving at least 32 people dead, authorities said. The victims included the cops, activists of Jamaat, Shibir, Juba League and common people.
Of the deceased, six people, including three cops, were killed in Gaibandha, four in Thakurgaon, three in Satkhira, two each in Rangpur, Noakhali, Chittagong, Moulvibazar and Sirajganj while one each in Dinajpur, Natore, Cox's Bazar and Chapainawabganj.
Five deaths were also reported from other parts of the country. Meanwhile, JI has called a 48-hour nationwide hartal from Sunday protesting death penalty for Sayedee. Amiruzzaman, Jamaat chief of Chittagong (North) said the party would organise special prayers on Friday.
SENIOR JAMAAT LEADER GETS DEATH SENTENCE
A top leader of Bangladesh’s fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami party was sentenced to death on Thursday for ‘crimes against humanity’, including genocide and religious persecution, during the country’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. A special Bangladeshi tribunal handed down death penalty to Delwar Hossain Sayedee, vice-president of the party, amid a nationwide shutdown called by Jammat. ‘He (Delwar Hossain Sayedee) will be hanged by neck till he is dead,’ pronounced chairman of the three-judge International Crimes Tribunal Justice ATM Fazle Kabir. He is the third JI politician to be convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal since the trial of war crimes suspects, mostly belonging to the Islamist group, began three years ago. The 120-page verdict said the tribunal found valid eight of the 20 charges against the Islamist leader which included mass killing, arson, lootings and forcefully converting non-Muslims to Islam of which two of the charges earned him the highest death sentence.
The violence followed the verdict of the special Bangladeshi tribunal that handed down death penalty to Delwar Hossain Sayedee, vice-president of the party, amid a nationwide shutdown called by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
The court verdict triggered street violence across the country leaving at least 32 people dead, authorities said. The victims included the cops, activists of Jamaat, Shibir, Juba League and common people.
Of the deceased, six people, including three cops, were killed in Gaibandha, four in Thakurgaon, three in Satkhira, two each in Rangpur, Noakhali, Chittagong, Moulvibazar and Sirajganj while one each in Dinajpur, Natore, Cox's Bazar and Chapainawabganj.
Five deaths were also reported from other parts of the country. Meanwhile, JI has called a 48-hour nationwide hartal from Sunday protesting death penalty for Sayedee. Amiruzzaman, Jamaat chief of Chittagong (North) said the party would organise special prayers on Friday.
SENIOR JAMAAT LEADER GETS DEATH SENTENCE
A top leader of Bangladesh’s fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami party was sentenced to death on Thursday for ‘crimes against humanity’, including genocide and religious persecution, during the country’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. A special Bangladeshi tribunal handed down death penalty to Delwar Hossain Sayedee, vice-president of the party, amid a nationwide shutdown called by Jammat. ‘He (Delwar Hossain Sayedee) will be hanged by neck till he is dead,’ pronounced chairman of the three-judge International Crimes Tribunal Justice ATM Fazle Kabir. He is the third JI politician to be convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal since the trial of war crimes suspects, mostly belonging to the Islamist group, began three years ago. The 120-page verdict said the tribunal found valid eight of the 20 charges against the Islamist leader which included mass killing, arson, lootings and forcefully converting non-Muslims to Islam of which two of the charges earned him the highest death sentence.