Bangladesh: Execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader sparks violent attacks against minorities

Execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader sparks violent protests in Bangladesh
AP | Dec 13, 2013, 11.48 AM IST

Execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader sparks violent protests in Bangladesh
Tyres have been set on fire by activists of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan protesting against the execution of Bangladeshi Islamist leader, in Islamabad. (AFP photo)

DHAKA: The execution of an Islamist opposition leader in Bangladesh has sparked violent protests.
TV stations reported on Friday that activists torched many homes and shops belonging to minority Hindus, who are generally believed to be supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The opposition leader, Abdul Quader Mollah, was hanged on Thursday night for war crimes committed during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. His brother, Mainuddin Mollah, said he was buried early Friday in his ancestral home of Faridpur.

Mollah had a key role in Jamaat-e-Islami, an ally of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

The case has exposed the explosive political tensions in Bangladesh between the ruling party and the opposition ahead of national elections next month.