Blogger's death rekindles anti-Islamist protests in Bangladesh
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DHAKA (REUTERS) - Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi protesters, angered by the killing of one of their leaders, poured back onto the streets of the capital on Saturday to demand the death penalty for those found guilty of war crimes in the 1971 independence conflict.
The demonstrators, who denounce a life sentence handed down this month on an Islamist leader involved in the war, reversed a decision to scale back demonstrations, now in their 12th day.
Mr Rajib Haider, an architect, was a key figure in organising the demonstrations and wrote a blog devoted to them. He was attacked outside his home on Friday night after returning from a 100,000-strong rally in Shahbag Square.
Mr Haider's family told reporters he was stabbed to death for standing up to Islamists and drawing people to the protests.
