In Bangladesh, a senior Standing Committee member and influential policymaker of Opposition BNP, Salauuddin Quader Chowdhury was sentenced to death by the International War Crimes Tribunal today for crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. This is the first war crimes verdict against any BNP leader.

Around 3 million people were killed and over 2 lakh women were raped during the liberation War. Security have been beefed up all over the country with heavy deployment of security personnel. Our correspondent reports that in a packed court with tight security arrangements around, the three-membered first International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh sentenced Opposition BNP top policy-maker and Standing Committee member, Salauudin Quader Chowdury to maximum punishment of death.

The tribunal found him guilty of crimes against humanity including genocide, torture, confinement, arson and looting during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. There is tight security everywhere in the capital with heavy deployment of Rapid Action Battalion personnel and other police force.

At Shahbhag intersection, hundreds of demonstrators of Ganojagron Mancha have been having a sit-in since morning demanding maximum punishment for war criminals. This is the first war crimes verdict against any BNP leader. The two war crimes tribunals have so far delivered seven verdicts since their institution in 2010 and 2012 respectively