Death Sentence in Bangladesh for War Atrocities
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Version 0 of 1. DHAKA, Bangladesh (Reuters) — A Bangladesh tribunal on Thursday convicted and sentenced an Islamist party leader to death for atrocities in the country’s war of independence, generating a nationwide wave of violent protest from the leader’s supporters. The leader, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, 61, assistant secretary general of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was found guilty of genocide and torture of unarmed civilians during the 1971 war to break away from Pakistan, lawyers and tribunal officials said. Mr. Kamaruzzaman’s lead defense lawyer, Abdur Razzaq, said he would appeal. War veterans were among the hundreds on the street outside the court who cheered the verdict, the fourth war crimes conviction by the tribunal. More are expected. “We are happy with the verdict as it fulfills the demands of the countrymen, especially the young generation,” said Imran Sarker, who gave up his medical practice to lead the movement demanding the death penalty for all war criminals. Bangladesh, which is still reeling from a garment factory collapse that killed more than 900 people last month, has also been rocked in recent months by protests and counter protests related to the complex legacy of the 1971 war. More than 100 people have been killed in clashes this year, most of them Islamist party activists and members of the security forces. The unrest is one of the main challenges facing the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who in 2010 ordered an inquiry into abuses committed during the war. Jamaat and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party accuse the prime minister of using the tribunal to persecute them. The government has denied the accusation. Rights groups have criticized the tribunal as failing to adhere to international standards. Human Rights Watch said lawyers, witnesses and investigators reported being threatened. To protest the verdict, Jamat supporters blocked highways, attacked vehicles, started fires and struck at banks in cities across the country, including Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna and Patuakhali, the police and witnesses said. They were dispersed by officers using rubber bullets. Jamaat also called a daylong general strike on Sunday to protest the verdict. |