The UN has raised doubts over the fairness of the trial and execution of two top opposition leaders in Bangladesh for war crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, drawing strong criticism from Dhaka which called the comment "highly disturbing".
Fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary-General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, 67, and BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, 66, were hanged on November 22 at Dhaka Central Jail.
"We have long warned that, given the doubts that have been raised about the fairness of trials conducted before the Tribunal. Bangladesh should not implement death penalty sentences," the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has said in a statement on Tuesday in Geneva.
"The trials did not meet international standards of fair trial and due process as stipulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Bangladesh is a party," it added.
Bangladesh, however, refuted the claim of the UN calling the comment "highly disturbing".
"Bangladesh expressed that it is highly disturbed by the conclusion made in the Press Briefing Note with regard to the misperception/ misconception of OHCHR about the reality entailing the verdicts of the International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh" foreign ministry said in a statement.
"In addition to criminal offences under domestic law, there is a strong prima facie case that criminal offences were committed in international law, namely war crimes and crimes against humanity and acts of genocide under the Genocide Convention 1948," it said.
Mujahid, the second most senior member of Jamaat, was found to be a key mastermind of the massacre of the country's top intelligentsia just ahead of the December 16, 1971 independence war victory.
Chowdhury, a top aide to BNP chief Khaleda Zia, carried out atrocities at his home district of southeastern Chittagong, leading a violent campaign against Hindus. He has been an influential politician - he was elected MP six times.
Bangladesh won its independence from Pakistan after a nine-month long Liberation War 44 years ago. Officially three million people were killed during the nine-month long war against Pakistan.
