Bangladesh hands down death sentence to opposition leader

Bangladesh war crimes tribunal has sentenced a senior opposition party figure to death, raising fears of more clashes between security forces and supporters.

Assistant Secretary-General of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party Mohammad Kamaruzzaman was found guilty of crimes committed during the 1971 war for independence from Pakistan.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said on Thursday: “This man has been convicted of the most heinous crimes against humanity.”
He added: “The charges have been proved. He will die by hanging.”
The special tribunal has already issued three verdicts against party members, including death sentences for the party’s vice president and a former member.
The top leaders have so far been convicted by the controversial tribunal for their role in mass killings during the war, which saw what was then East Pakistan break from Islamabad.
This comes while the opposition accuses the government of seeking to intimidate them by trying their leaders for alleged war crimes committed more than 40 years ago.
Rights groups also say the court’s legal procedures fall short of international standards.
People have taken to the streets of Dhaka and some other cities several times to protest against controversial trials of opposition activists and leaders.