B'desh court upholds death sentence for militants

Dhaka, Aug 31: A Bangladeshi court today upheld the death sentence handed down against seven Islamist militants over the killing of two judges in a bomb attack last year, officials said.

Among those ordered hanged are the leaders of two outlawed groups, Shayek Abdur Rahman of Jamaat-ul Mujahideen and Siddikul Islam Bangla Bhai of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh.

All but one of the convicted men are in custody, police said. The other is on the run and was tried in absentia.

The seven have 30 days to appeal today's High Court ruling.

Three months ago, a lower court imposed the death penalty against the seven. The two judges were killed when a bomb was thrown at a vehicle carrying them to a court in Jhalakati, 300 km south of the capital Dhaka, last November.

The outlawed groups, who have called for Islamic rule in mainly Muslim Bangladesh, killed at least 30 people and wounded around 150 in a spate of countrywide bomb attacks between August and December last year.

The victims also included lawyers, policemen and journalists.

REUTERS