A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal convicted and sentenced a top Islamist party leader to life imprisonment on Monday, July 15 as violence broke out across the country between police and his supporters, Reuters said.

Ghulam Azam, 91, the former head of Jamaat-e-Islami party, was found guilty on charges of planning, conspiracy, incitement and complicity to commit genocide and crimes against humanity during a 1971 war for independence from Pakistan, lawyers and tribunal officials said.

It was the tribunal's fifth conviction since January.