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Bangladesh's Kamaruzzaman sentenced to death Bangladesh's Kamaruzzaman sentenced to death
(about 1 hour later)
The deputy head of Bangladesh's opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party has been sentenced to death by the country's war crimes tribunal.The deputy head of Bangladesh's opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party has been sentenced to death by the country's war crimes tribunal.
Muhammad Kamaruzzaman was found guilty on five out of seven counts of torture and mass murder committed during the 1971 war of independence.Muhammad Kamaruzzaman was found guilty on five out of seven counts of torture and mass murder committed during the 1971 war of independence.
The nine-month war of secession from Pakistan killed as many as three million people.
The tribunal was set up in 2010 to try people accused of collaboration.The tribunal was set up in 2010 to try people accused of collaboration.
Jamaat-e-Islami accuses the government of using the proceedings to curb the opposition's activities ahead of elections scheduled for next year. Kamaruzzaman, who denied the charges and said his trial was politically motivated, is set to appeal.
Jamaat says the government is using the trials to curb opposition activities ahead of elections due next year.
International rights groups, meanwhile, say the tribunal falls short of international standards.International rights groups, meanwhile, say the tribunal falls short of international standards.
Street battlesStreet battles
The conviction comes at a testing time for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has made prosecution of 1971 war crimes one of her government's key goals. In a packed Dhaka court room, Kamaruzzaman was convicted of mass killings, rape, torture and kidnapping, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam.
The verdict prompted cheers of celebration from crowds gathered outside, says the BBC's Masud Khan in Dhaka.
Kamaruzzaman, who would have been about 18 during Bangladesh's secession war, was charged in August 2010, a month after being arrested in a separate criminal case.
He was accused of being a key organiser of the al-Badr, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani army which killed Bangladeshi intellectuals during the 1971 conflict.
His conviction comes at a testing time for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has made prosecution of 1971 war crimes one of her government's key goals.
Analysts say the death sentence will only exacerbate an already febrile situation in a country where police and Islamist protesters have this week been fighting deadly battles on the streets of the capital Dhaka.Analysts say the death sentence will only exacerbate an already febrile situation in a country where police and Islamist protesters have this week been fighting deadly battles on the streets of the capital Dhaka.
The umbrella organisation behind the protests - of which Jamaat is a part - is calling for the introduction of more Islamic laws, and has shown it can easily mobilise vast numbers onto the streets.The umbrella organisation behind the protests - of which Jamaat is a part - is calling for the introduction of more Islamic laws, and has shown it can easily mobilise vast numbers onto the streets.
Nine senior figures from Jamaat - the country's largest Islamist party, which opposed the break with Pakistan - were among 12 people charged with war crimes by the tribunal. Allegations denied
All have denied the charges against them, but the convictions of three Islamist leaders in January and March sparked protests in which dozens of people were killed. Nine senior figures from Jamaat have been among 12 people charged with war crimes by the tribunal.
Kamaruzzaman was charged in August 2010, a month after being arrested in a separate criminal case. Jamaat, the country's largest Islamist party, was opposed to Bangladeshi independence but denies any role in war crimes committed by pro-Pakistan militias.
He was charged with being a key organiser of the al-Badr, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani army which killed Bangladeshi intellectuals during the 1971 conflict. All those accused of war crimes have denied the charges against them. The convictions of three leading Islamists - including Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, who was sentenced to death in February - sparked protests in which dozens of people were killed.
The tribunal was established by the government in 2010 to try Bangladeshis accused of collaborating with Pakistani forces who attempted to stop the former East Pakistan from gaining independence.The tribunal was established by the government in 2010 to try Bangladeshis accused of collaborating with Pakistani forces who attempted to stop the former East Pakistan from gaining independence.
The exact number of people killed during the nine-month war of secession is unclear: official Bangladeshi figures suggest as many as three million people died, but independent researchers suggest the death-toll was around 500,000.