Jamaat calls shutdown for Wednesday, Thursday

The Jamaat-e-Islami has called a two-day countrywide shutdown for Wednesday and Thursday to protest against the death verdict on its leader ATM Azharul Islam for war crimes.

Tuesday's announcement came minutes after Bangladesh's first war crimes tribunal found the Jamaat assistant secretary general guilty of genocide, murder and rape.

Jamaat, accused of war crimes, had responded violently to its leaders' convictions in the past.

Party's acting chief Maqbool Ahmed announced the programme in a statement on Tuesday.

During the verdict, ICT-1 Chairman Justice Enayetur Rahim requested everyone to eschew violence, fearing a backlash.

Jamaat had violently reacted to convictions of its leaders in the past.

Ahmed dubbed the verdict "perverse" and said claimed Azhar had been "denied justice".

He claimed the assistant secretary general was a "victim of the government's conspiracies".

Jamaat, which opposed Bangladesh's birth, called the trial a "farce" that did not have "acceptability abroad".

The tribunal sentenced Azhar to death on charges of murder and genocide.

He is the eighth Jamaat leader convicted of war crimes.

The tribunal said it was delivering a verdict on a war crimes suspect and not on a religious leader as claimed by some local and foreign media.

"His (Azhar) stature as an Islamic or religious figure is not our concern."

Azhar to die