Violence continues in Bangladesh, 15 more people killed

At least 15 people were killed today in fresh violence in Bangladesh over death sentence given to a top leader of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami for "crimes against humanity" during the 1971 liberation war, taking the death toll to 65.

Violence broke out on Thursday after 73-year-old Delwar Hossain Sayedee, vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), was sentenced to death by International Crimes Tribunal.

The two-day strike called by Jamaat coincides with President Pranab Mukherjee's visit as does another shutdown called by the fundamentalist outfit's alliance partner and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Khaleda Zia on the last day of the visit on March 5.

Jamaat activists overnight torched a train and attacked several police installations in northwestern Bangladesh as they enforced a nationwide 48-hour stoppage to halt ongoing trial of their leaders.

Authorities called army troops in north-western Bogra where seven people were killed in shootouts after the JI activists attacked a police station with homemade bombs and guns at the cantonment area.

"Two platoon troops were deployed on request from the local administration as the violence erupted at the cantonment area," an army spokesman said.

At least 15 people, including three women and a policeman, were killed and nearly 50 others injured in fresh violence rocked the first day of the strike called by Jamaat in four districts of Bogra, Joypurhat, Jhenaidah and Rajshahi districts.

At least seven persons, including three women, were killed and scores others hurt when Jamaat-Shibir men and locals clashed with law enforcers, attacked police outposts, vandalised government and Awami League offices in different areas of Bogra Sunday morning.

Two activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir were killed and 21 bullet-hit as police, attacked by pickets, opened fire in Panchbibi and Sadar upazilas of

Joypurhat during the strike while a Jamaat man and a boy were killed in a gunbattle with police in Rajshahi.

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