Dhaka: Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence of a top Islamist leader for war crimes during the country's independence struggle against Pakistan in 1971, paving the way for his execution and dealing a major blow to the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami party.

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha announced the apex court's verdict to dismiss the appeal of Jamaat-e-Islami stalwart and media tycoon Mir Quasem Ali, who was convicted of murder and abduction during Bangladesh's liberation war.