DHAKA, Bangladesh, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Police in Dhaka arrested a leading member of the Islamic pro Pakistan party Jamaat-e-Islami in a crackdown after violence erupted during a protest.
Jamaat-e-Islami Acting Secretary Azharul Islam and 10 other members were arrested at their homes following clashes between police and party activists in Dhaka's Kakrail, Bijoynagar and Shantinagar areas.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas during the riots, which lasted several hours.
At least 50 people, including policemen, were injured and more than 30 vehicles torched.
More than 120 people were arrested during the clashes, a report in the Daily Sun said.
A leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, Shafiqur Rahman, denied police claims that party members attacked security forces.
"We were protesting in a peaceful way but the police suddenly started taking tough action," he told the BBC. "We never believe in this type of violence. It was a clear suppression of our right to protest."
Violence also was reported during party protests in other cities including the southern port city of Chittagong, the BBC said.
Jamaat-e-Islami members and their supporters were demanding the release of five party leaders detained by police and charged with crimes against humanity.
The crimes were allegedly committed during the country's 1971 war to separate from the Pakistan federation when Pakistan consisted of West Pakistan and East Pakistan, now called Bangladesh.
The conflict claimed the lives of up to 3 million people, the government has said, although estimates by other organizations have disputed the figure as too high.
However, the fighting led to several million Bangladeshis fleeing to eastern India, which supported diplomatically and militarily East Pakistan's bid for independence.
West Pakistani forces in East Pakistan surrendered in December 1971 but tensions have existed for decades about what people did during the war and who they supported.
The government set up a special court last year to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Bangladeshis, including members of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which continues to support reunion with Pakistan as well as the introduction of Shariah law.
Also detained are two members from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
The latest Jamaat-e-Islami party member, Delwar Hossain Sayedee, was arrested in July, accused of "crimes against humanity, looting, arson and forcible conversion to Islam," chief prosecutor Ghulam Arif Tipoo said at the time.
"We have submitted the charges against Sayedee to the International Crimes Tribunal. The investigators have completed their job and we have found compelling evidences of war crimes," he said.
Saydee, 71, is accused of killing more than 50 people, torching villages, instigating rape, looting and forcibly converting Hindus to Islam.
Bangladesh passed the "The International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 in 1973 and has made several slight amendments since then. However, it had never set up a court to try people, mainly accused of collaborating or helping the Pakistani army in 1971, until last year.
Human Rights Watch cautiously welcomed the establishment of the court. But in July Human Rights Watch said more needs to be done such as requirements for a clear articulation of the crimes, the due process rights of the accused as well as getting protection for victims and witnesses.
"We want these trials to succeed in bringing the people responsible for the horrific crimes of 1971 to justice," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said. "While the amendments are a significant improvement, key problems still need to be fixed to ensure fair trials and avoid unnecessarily lengthy appeals."
Human Rights Watch said a defendant should be allowed to question the impartiality of the tribunal. At present, the law prohibits this.
There is concern whether defense counsel will have adequate time to prepare within the stipulated three weeks.
