Dhaka: International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 1 on Wednesday handed death penalty to former BNP and Jamaat lawmaker Shakhawat Hossain for his crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation in 1971.

The tribunal also gave seven others jail until death in connection with crimes against humanity in Jessore during the War of Liberation.

A three-member bench led by Justice Anwarul Haque issued the verdict on Wednesday afternoon.

Earlier, the tribunal bench started to read out the verdict at about 10:55am.

The other accused are Billal Hossain Biswas , Mohammad Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Mohammad Mujibur Rahman, Mohammad Abdul Aziz Sarder, Qazi Wahidul Islam, Mohammad Aziz Sarder, and Abdul Khalek Morol.

Among the accused, Shakhawat Hossain and Billal Hossain are in prison.

However, Lutfor Morol, an accused of the case, died of a cardiac arrest in police custody on 6 May, 2016.

Justice Anwarul Haque, chairman of the three-member panel of the ICT-1, set the date through a short order on Tuesday morning.

Earlier on 14 July, the tribunal kept the date of judgement on waiting saying it would pronounce the judgment on any day. The tribunal issued the order as the defence concluded their part of arguments, followed by prosecution rebuttal.

Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman concluded her part on 12 July. Though defence counsel Abdus Sattar Palowan started submitting his arguments on that day, he failed to wrap up and continued till today. Senior prosecutor Zead al-Malum placed rebuttal after defence arguments.

A total of 17 prosecution witnesses including investigation officer Abdur Razzak Khan testified against the accused.

ICT 1 on 2 December, 2015, indicted the accused framing five charges of crimes against humanity.