Thursday 30 January 2014
The head of Bangladesh's main Islamist party, Motiur Rahman has been found guilty along with 13 others of trafficking arms to separatists in the neighbouring Indian state of Assam.
He was industry minister in 2004 when the arms cache was discovered in the southern port of Chittagong.
He is to face separate charges of war crimes which dates way back to independence in 1971. If convicted he could also be sentenced to death in that case.
Some of his colleagues have already been found guilty, and some sentenced to die, for war crimes.Jamaat supporters have led protests against the trials, in which scores of people have been killed.The party says the trial process is politically motivated. Human rights groups say it does not conform to international standards.
The Jamaat president has said he will appeal against the arms smuggling sentence.
