Image copyright AFP Image caption Motiur Rahman Nizami is a former minister in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's highest court has upheld the death sentence for Motiur Rahman Nizami, head of the country's largest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami.

Nizami was appealing against last year's conviction for war crimes committed during the independence war against Pakistan in 1971.

The 72-year-old is accused of helping the Pakistani army identify and kill pro-independence activists.

He was convicted on charges including genocide, murder, torture and rape.

Many of those killed during the nine-month Bangladeshi war of secession were teachers, engineers and journalists.

A war crimes tribunal - looking into abuses during the war - was set up in 2010, but critics have accused the government of using it to target political opponents.

Nizami, who served as a minister in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government from 2001-2006, is one of the most important figures to have been found guilty.

He is expected to be executed in the coming months unless he requests a review of the Supreme Court verdict, or is granted clemency by the president - which analysts say is unlikely.

Bangladesh independence war, 1971

Civil war erupts in Pakistan, pitting the West Pakistan army against East Pakistanis demanding autonomy and later independence

Fighting forces an estimated 10 million East Pakistani civilians to flee to India

In December, India invades East Pakistan in support of the East Pakistani people

Pakistani army surrenders at Dhaka and its army of more than 90,000 become Indian prisoners of war

East Pakistan becomes the independent country of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971