Two non-resident Bangladeshis sentenced to death

Since Jan 21 this year, two tribunals dealing with war crimes cases have so far delivered verdicts in eight cases.

Eight current and former leaders of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its key ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party had earlier been sentenced to either death or life imprisonment for crimes against humanity linked to the country's war of independence.

The Jamaat, which denies any role in war crimes committed by pro-Pakistan militias, has said Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League party has targeted the party to split the Khaleda Zia-led 18-party main opposition alliance which has been waging a movement to press home its demand for restoration of a non-party caretaker government to oversee the next national elections slated for early 2014.