Sayeedi found guilty of war crimes in Bangladesh, sentenced to death DHAKA, Bangladesh, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced militant leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi to death for crimes he committed during the country's war for independence. Sayeedi, leader of Jamaat-e-Islami party, was found guilty of charges that included mass murder, torture and rape, the BBC reported Thursday. Sayeedi was accused of working with the Pakistani al-Badr Islamic terrorist group during the war and carrying atrocities such as forcibly converting Hindus to Islam. He also was accused of forming a small group during the war to loot and seize property of Bengali Hindus and other supporters of Bangladesh's independence. The tribunal found Sayeedi guilty on eight of the 20 charges filed against him. Lawyers for Sayeedi said they would appeal. Opponents cheered when the verdict was read for the most senior militant leader so far convicted of war crimes during Bangladesh's war for independence in 1071. Critics of the tribunal have said politics were behind the charges against Sayeedi and others. The Jamaat-e-Islami party said it rejected the court and has demonstrated against the panel, the BBC said. Official estimates say more than 3 million people were killed in the war. The tribunal was established in 2010 to handle cases against people accused of collaborating with Pakistani forces who attempted to stop East Pakistan, as Bangladesh was known, from breaking away and becoming an independent country.