Dhaka, March 28: Four leaders of the student wing of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami have been sentenced to death and three to life imprisonment for killing eight students of a rival group in the port city of Chittagong in July 2000.

The prosecution said a vehicle carrying students belonging to the Chhatra League, student wing of the opposition Awami League, was sprayed with bullets by the Islami Chhatra Shibir.

On Thursday, Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Ekramul Haq Chowdhury read out the operative portions of the 227-page judgement, noting that this was a case of student rivalry.

Alamgir and Azam, two of those sentenced to death, are already in jail for killing a man called Gobind Chandra Muhuri, reported the Daily Star.

They complained of not receiving a fair trial and their lawyer said he would appeal to the higher court.