Dhaka, Feb 24 (IANS): Bangladesh's first war crimes tribunal Tuesday sentenced militia leader and former lawmaker Abdul Jabbar to life in prison for genocide and religious persecution of the country's Hindu minority during the 1971 Liberation War.

The 82-year-old Jabbar, a member of parliament in the 1980s for the government-aligned Jatiya Party, was tried in absentia, as he is thought to have fled to the US, bdnews24.com reported.

War crimes tribunal judge Enayetur Rahim sentenced Jabbar to life in prison after finding him guilty of five charges of atrocities committed during the nine-month war against Pakistan, the prosecutor said.

"He was found guilty of all five charges, including genocide, murder, arson and religious persecution," the prosecutor said.

"He was involved in murdering 36 people and forcibly converted 200 Hindus to Islam."

Jabbar is the 18th person convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic court set up by the government.

The prosecutor said Jabbar was the head of a pro-Pakistani militia in the coastal town of Mathbaria and collaborated with the Pakistan army during the conflict when the then East Pakistan seceded from Islamabad.