Jamaat-e-Islami has called a 24-hour countrywide hartal (shutdown) for Sunday after the Supreme Court upheld death penalty awarded to the party’s chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for his 1971 war crimes.

The hartal will begin at 6:00am Sunday and will continue for 24 hours, Jamaat said in a release on their website.

Along with the hartal, the party has also announced two-day programme from tomorrow across the country, which includes special prayer and countrywide peaceful procession.

Ambulance, fire-service and hospital vehicles, press and other emergency services will be outside the purview of the hartal, according to the website release. 

The Supreme Court today upheld the death penalty awarded to war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Motiur Rahman Nizami for his wartime crimes, dismissing his review plea against the gallows.