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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Bangladesh's Kamaruzzaman sentenced to death | Bangladesh's Kamaruzzaman sentenced to death |
| (35 minutes 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 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. |
| Kamaruzzaman, who denied the charges and said his trial was politically motivated, is set to appeal. | 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. | 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 battles | Street battles |
| In a packed Dhaka court room, Kamaruzzaman was convicted of mass killings, rape, torture and kidnapping, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam. | In a packed Dhaka court room, Kamaruzzaman was convicted of mass killings, rape, torture and kidnapping, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam. |
| He was found guilty of masterminding what the prosecution described as one of the bloodiest single episodes in the independence war - the killing of at least 120 unarmed farmers in the remote northern village of Sohagpur which subsequently became known as the "Village of the Widows". | |
| Three women widowed as a result of the killings testified against Kamaruzzaman during his trial. They described how he led Pakistani troops to the village and helped them to line up and execute the farmers. | |
| Thursday's announcement of the verdict and death sentence 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Allegations denied | Allegations denied |
| Nine senior figures from Jamaat have been among 12 people charged with war crimes by the tribunal. | Nine senior figures from Jamaat have been among 12 people charged with war crimes by the tribunal. |
| Jamaat, the country's largest Islamist party, was opposed to Bangladeshi independence but denies any role in war crimes committed by pro-Pakistan militias. | Jamaat, the country's largest Islamist party, was opposed to Bangladeshi independence but denies any role in war crimes committed by pro-Pakistan militias. |
| 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. | 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. | 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. |