DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for a top leader on Wednesday for atrocities committed during the country’s war of independence from Pakistan more than four decades ago, a government lawyer said.

Four opposition politicians, including three leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami, have been convicted by a war crimes tribunal and executed since late 2013.

The court rejected an appeal by Motiur Rahman Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami, who was sentenced to death in 2014 by the tribunal for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the 1971 war.

“The court upheld the death sentence. We are happy with the verdict,” state prosecutor Syed Haider Ali told Reuters.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which has said the charges against Nizami to be baseless, called for a nationwide strike on Thursday in protest.

The court order comes close on the heels of a mammoth rally organized by the main opposition party Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which was held a day earlier in Dhaka to mark the second anniversary of Jan. 5 general election, which BNP observes as “death of democracy day.”

Addressing the rally, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia demanded the authorities to immediately arrange a parliamentary election under a “nonpartisan government.”

“The government is staying in power forcibly. That’s why the Election Commission’s present responsibility is to immediately arrange an inclusive national election in a free, fair and impartial manner,” she said.

“We want an end to the prevailing chaotic situation through discussions and would like to work together for the sake of democracy,” she said.

Citing several instances of polls irregularities, the BNP chief alleged that the Awami League government wants to show its popularity by manipulating elections.