Four Killed In Bangladesh Clashes After Execution

At least four people were killed in Bangladesh on Friday (December 13) when supporters of Islamist leader Abdul Quader Mollah vented their fury at his execution for war crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.

The decision to hang Mollah, a senior figure in the Jamaat-e-Islami party that is a key part of the opposition coalition, drew widespread condemnation from political allies and international human rights groups.

But many citizens celebrated the first ever execution of a Bangladesh war criminal, which took place late on Thursday (December 12) at the Dhaka Central Jail in the capital.

Mollah, dubbed the "Butcher of Mirpur" in Bangladesh for his part in hundreds of killings 42 years ago, was buried in the early hours of Friday in his home village in the southern district of Faridpur.

In the latest violence, Jamaat supporters set fire to vehicles and houses, looted shops, set off crude bombs and blocked roads in several parts of the country.

Police said two Awami League activists were hacked to death in Satkhira, in the southwest, early on Friday.

One person died in clashes between police and Jamaat supporters in the southern district of Noakhali and a driver was killed after Jamaat protesters chased him down.

Mollah's execution has worsened tensions that were already running high, threatening to cripple Bangladesh's economy, notably its $22-billion garment industry.

Presented by Adam Justice