Bangladesh MP sentenced to death

An MP for Bangladesh’s main opposition
party has been sentenced to death by a war
crimes court for charges including murder
and genocide during the 1971 war of
independence with Pakistan.
BBC reports that Salahuddin Quader
Chowdhury, the first member of the
Bangladesh National Party (BNP) to be tried
by the court, was found guilty of nine out
of 23 charges.
The BNP has consistently argued that the
trial is politically motivated.
Previous verdicts against Islamist leaders
have been followed by protests.
The war crimes tribunal was set up by the
Awami League-led government in 2010 and
opposition parties have accused it of
pursuing a political vendetta against its
opponents.
Human rights groups have also said the
tribunal falls short of international
standards.
Security was tight in Dhaka where the
verdict was being heard and also in
Chittagong, the home district of
Chowdhury, where there is likely to be
anger at the verdict.
Analysts say the tribunal’s verdicts have
exposed profound divisions in Bangladeshi
society.