special court in Bangladesh set up to try war crimes suspects from the country's 1971 battle for independence has delayed the start of its first trial on Sunday, a court official told the AFP news agency.

The prosecution was due to make an opening statement on Sunday against Delwar Hossain Sayedee, a leader of an opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party is charged with 20 counts including crimes against humanity and genocide.

Sayedee denies the charges, including mass murder, rape, looting, arson, and forcing Hindus to convert to  Islam.

Al Jazeera's Nicholas Haque reports from Dhaka

At Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people's lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a 'voice to the voiceless.'
Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust Al Jazeera English to keep them informed, inspired, and entertained.
Our impartial, fact-based reporting wins worldwide praise and respect. It is our unique brand of journalism that the world has come to rely on.
We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world's most respected news and current affairs channels.

Social Media links:

Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]=...
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Website: [ Ссылка ]
google+: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть