BANGLADESH: EX-MP SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR WAR CRIMES IN 1971

A special tribunal dealing with war crimes committed during Bangladesh's independence war against Pakistan in 1971 sentenced a former lawmaker to death and seven others to life in prison for murder and other crimes.
The tribunal sentenced Sakhawat Hossain, a former parliament member belonging to the Jamaat-e-Islami party, to death on August 10. He and one of the other defendants were present in the court. The six others were tried in absentia.
Hossain was a central committee member of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami party at the time, and was accused of acting as a local commander of a group that aided Pakistani soldiers. He left Jamaat-e-Islami and joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. At the time of the court case he was involved with Jatiya Party headed by former military dictator H. M. Ershad.
His lawyers said they will appeal.