A court in Bangladesh has sentenced 152 people to death for participating in a border guard mutiny in which 74 people died, including more than 50 military commanders.

Dhaka’s Metropolitan Sessions Court handed down the sentences on Tuesday, along with sentences of life in prison for 157 other participants. Acquittals were handed down for 271 others.

The case regarding the two-day mutiny of February 25-26, 2009 involved 846 defendants charged with such crimes as murder and arson.

New York-based Human Rights Watch has criticized Bangladesh for trying so many people at once, saying a mass trial will not ensure justice.

The border guards rebelled after unsuccessfully demanding a raise in pay and other changes.

The ruling comes as Bangladesh is in the midst of a three-day strike ordered by the political opposition, aimed at forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down in favor of a caretaker government prior to upcoming elections.

Source: VOA