page_title: 2013 Shahbag protests
hierarchical_section_title: 2013 Shahbag protests
caption_attribution_description: English: 2013 Shahbag protests, Protest against the war criminals in Shahbagh, Bangladesh. বাংলা: ২০১৩-র শাহবাগ আন্দোলন, বাংলাদেশের শাহবাগে যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিরুদ্ধে প্রতিবাদ।
context_page_description: On 5 February 2013, protests began in Shahbag, Bangladesh following demands for capital punishment for Abdul Quader Mollah, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, and convicted on five of six counts of war crimes by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh. Later demands included banning the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party from politics including election and a boycott of institutions supporting the party.
  Protesters considered Mollah's sentence too lenient, given his crimes. Bloggers and online activists called for additional protests at Shahbag and joined the demonstration.
  Ruling party Awami League supported the protests. However, main opposition party the Bangladesh Nationalist Party initially expressed its support for Jamaat-e-Islami, a political ally. But, the BNP cautiously welcomed the Shahbag protest, while warning the government not to make political mileage from a movement demanding capital punishment for war criminals. A counter-protest, questioning the validity of the tribunal and the protest movement and demanding release of those accused and convicted, was called by Jamaat-e-Islami.
context_section_description: On 5 February 2013, protests began in Shahbag, Bangladesh following demands for  capital punishment for Abdul Quader Mollah, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, and convicted on five of six counts of war crimes by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh. Later demands included banning the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party from politics including election and a boycott of institutions supporting (or affiliated with) the party.
  Protesters considered Mollah's sentence too lenient, given his crimes. Bloggers and online activists called for additional protests at Shahbag and joined the demonstration.
  Ruling party Awami League supported the protests. However, main opposition party the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) initially expressed its support for Jamaat-e-Islami, a political ally. But, the BNP cautiously welcomed the Shahbag protest, while warning the government not to make political mileage from a movement demanding capital punishment for war criminals. A counter-protest, questioning the validity of the tribunal and the protest movement and demanding release of those accused and convicted, was called by Jamaat-e-Islami.
  During the protests,blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider was killed outside his house. On 1 March, five students of North South University were arrested who 'confessed' involvement in Rajib's killing. From the killing of Haidar, his and his fellow bloggers' writing regarding prophet Muhammad made public by Amaar Desh. Therefore, against those bloggers Hefazat-e-Islam was formed.
  On 27 February 2013, the tribunal convicted Delwar Hossain Sayeedi of war crimes and sentenced him to death. Jamaat followers protested and there were violent clashes with police. About 60 people were killed in the confrontations; most were Jamaat-Shibir activists, and others were police and civilians.
  This movement were highly criticized in Bangladesh and abroad for giving incited slogans, being politically biased, vandalizing hospitals and education institutes., reviving fascism in Bangladesh, Forcing DU students to join, blocking the hospital road, throwing shoes on corpse etc.
caption: Demonstrators in Shahbag in February 2013
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