Bangladesh riots: Violence is not the way out, says Yechury

New Delhi, Mar. 1 (ANI): Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury on Friday condemned the violence in Bangladesh following the clashes triggered by a death sentence given to an Islamic party leader for crimes linked to Bangladesh's 1971 independence war. "We strongly condemn this violence and, I think, this violence is not the way out. Normalcy and peace should be established there and we only hope that people of Bangladesh will bring the situation back under control and then take their decisions," he told media outside the Parliament here. According to reports, at least 42 people have been killed so far following the clashes triggered by the death sentence given to an Islamic party leader for crimes linked to Bangladesh's 1971 independence war. Top Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee was convicted on Thursday for his role in mass killings, rape and atrocities committed during Bangladesh's 1971 independence war. The Jamaat leader's supporters clashed with the police, attacked government offices and uprooted railway tracks in parts of the country. Jamaat, the largest Islamic party in Bangladesh, is an ally of the country's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by ex-Premier Khaleda Zia and was a partner in her government during 2001-2006. Bangladesh was the eastern wing of Pakistan until it gained independence in 1971. (ANI)