Execution of Bangladeshi Islamist Opposition Leader Upheld

The news prompted violent protests

(Reuters)—Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for the execution of an Islamist opposition leader, sparking violent protests by his supporters less than a month before elections are due to be held.

Abdul Quader Mollah, found guilty of war crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, was set to be hanged at Dhaka Central Jail on Wednesday, but his lawyers earned a last-minute reprieve.

On Thursday, a panel of five judges, led by Chief Justice Mohammad Mojammel Hossain, rejected a petition that could have led to a review of the death penalty.