Bangladesh sentences Islamist militant for bombings News
Bangladesh sentences Islamist militant for bombings

[JURIST] A Bangladesh court Monday sentenced a member of the outlawed Islamist militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen [Wikipedia backgrounder] to 15 years in prison for involvement in a wave of bomb attacks across the country on August 17 last year that killed 2 and wounded 100. The group wants to turn Bangladesh [JURIST news archive], now the third most populated Muslim country and a democracy, into an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. Courts and judges have been targeted in subsequent bombings, which have killed two judges [JURIST report]. The sentencing of Obaidullah Suman is the first since officials detained nearly 800 suspected militants. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.