'Political verdict'

The defence counsels say that the verdict on the 2004 Chittagong arms haul case was unjust and that they would appeal against it in the High Court.

Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge and Special Tribunal-1 judge SM Mojibur Rahman ordered death for 14 including Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, former State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar in one of the cases filed over the arms haul.

In the other case, the court sentenced the 14 convicted to life in prison.

"We are agitated and disappointed with this verdict. It's a high-profile political case and the verdict is as well a high profile political one," defence counsel Quamrul Islam said after the verdict.

He said there were no instances of handing death sentences for smuggling since the inception of Bangladesh.

The state, however, denied the allegation of the verdict being 'political'.

"Those who have testified in this case were high-officials of the military and civil administration during the previous (BNP-Jamaat alliance) government. This is not a case of political harassment," said the Public Prosecutor Kamal Uddin.