A senior leader of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party has been sentenced to death by a special tribunal investigating charges of war crimes during the country's 1971 war of independence.
Mir Quasem Ali from Jamaat-e-Islami faced 14 charges in Chittagong including letting loose a "reign of terror". He was found guilty of 8 of the charges.
State prosecutor Ziad Al Mamun told reporters that "justice has been served" adding that the sentencing would break down the "culture of impunity" in the country.
However Ali's defence lawyer Mizanur Rahman said "we didn't get proper judgement."
Jamaat-e-Islami has called for a 24-hour national strike on Thursday to protest the sentencing. The group's party chief Motiur Rahman Nizami was also sentenced to death by the tribunal last Wednesday. In December, an Islamist politician was hung, marking the first war crimes execution in Bangladesh.
Set up in 2010, the tribunal was created to investigate abuses during the 1971 war of independence with Pakistan. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said up to 3 million lives were lost, with thousands of women reportedly raped during the conflict.
However, the tribunal has been criticised by rights groups for not meeting international standards. Prime Minister Hasina has been accused of using the tribunal to target opposition politicians from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami.
Violent protests over the trials killed over 200 people last year, mostly supporters from Islamist groups, as they clashed with security forces.
Mir Quasem Ali from Jamaat-e-Islami faced 14 charges in Chittagong including letting loose a "reign of terror". He was found guilty of 8 of the charges.
State prosecutor Ziad Al Mamun told reporters that "justice has been served" adding that the sentencing would break down the "culture of impunity" in the country.
However Ali's defence lawyer Mizanur Rahman said "we didn't get proper judgement."
Jamaat-e-Islami has called for a 24-hour national strike on Thursday to protest the sentencing. The group's party chief Motiur Rahman Nizami was also sentenced to death by the tribunal last Wednesday. In December, an Islamist politician was hung, marking the first war crimes execution in Bangladesh.
Set up in 2010, the tribunal was created to investigate abuses during the 1971 war of independence with Pakistan. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said up to 3 million lives were lost, with thousands of women reportedly raped during the conflict.
However, the tribunal has been criticised by rights groups for not meeting international standards. Prime Minister Hasina has been accused of using the tribunal to target opposition politicians from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami.
Violent protests over the trials killed over 200 people last year, mostly supporters from Islamist groups, as they clashed with security forces.