Six killed in fresh Bangladeshi riots

Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists raise slogans against the government during a protest in Dhaka.

Bangladesh on 3rd March 2013 deployed troops in the country’s north as six more people were killed in fresh rioting over death sentence given to a top Islamist opposition leader for crimes against humanity during the 1971 liberation war, taking the death toll to 56.

Six people were killed as police used gunshots on Sunday morning when Jamaat activists attacked a police station near an army cantonment at Shahjahanpur of north-western Bogra.

Jamaat activists overnight torched a train and attacked several police installations in north-western Bangladesh, as they enforced a nationwide 48-hour stoppage to halt ongoing trial of their leaders.

Violence broke out on Thursday after Delwar Hossain Sayedee, vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami, was sentenced to death by International Crimes Tribunal.

A local journalist quoting officials said Army troops were called out from nearby Bogra cantonment to tame the protesters, who also attacked two other police outposts and set ablaze a local office of Muktijoddha Sangsad of 1971 freedom.

42 dead in Bangladesh riots over war crimes verdict

 Bangladeshi police officers escort Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, leader of Jamaat-e-Islami as leaves a special tribunal in Dhaka.

At least 42 persons were killed as riots continued following the death sentence handed down to Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee. Sayedee was convicted on 28th Feb 2013 for mass killings, rape and atrocities committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war.

The Jamaat leader’s supporters clashed with the police, attacked government offices and uprooted railway tracks in parts of the country. Protesters also set fire to dozens of houses belonging to pro-government supporters. Police responded with bullets and tear gas.

Police and witnesses said that 42 people, including six policemen, had been killed.

The government said the security forces were put on high alert across the country as Jamaat and Sayedee’s supporters planned more protests. An additional 10,000 paramilitary border guards were deployed to boost security, the Home Ministry said.

Sayedee, 73, was convicted on eight of the 20 charges against him. Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said he was satisfied with the verdict. “Justice has been done to those who lost their loved ones at the hands of Sayedee,” he said.

A teacher at an Islamic seminary school when he allegedly committed the crimes, Sayedee is the third defendant to be convicted of war crimes by the special tribunal set up in 2010. Jamaat, the largest Islamic party in Bangladesh, campaigned against Bangladesh’s independence, but denies it was behind any atrocities.

Jamaat is an ally of the country’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by ex-Preme Minister Khaleda Zia and was a partner in her government during 2001-2006.