Bangladesh Islamist Given Death Sentence for 1971 War Crimes
Source: Bloomberg
Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal sentenced a senior member of the country’s biggest Islamic party to death, a verdict that threatens to inflame tensions in the country after 14 people were killed in rioting this week.
A panel of judges found Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman guilty of committing crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s independence struggle in 1971, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said speaking to reporters outside court today.
The International Crimes Tribunal’s rulings have reopened wounds from the war more than four decades ago that led to the founding of Bangladesh. The trial has triggered deadly clashes between conservative Islamic groups and security forces as they protest the verdicts, which they say are politically motivated.
Earlier this week, more than 250 people were injured as Islamic groups rioted in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka demanding the introduction of blasphemy laws. Those protests were backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-09/bangladesh-islamist-given-death-sentence-for-1971-war-crimes.html