Bangladesh jails 657 mutineers

A Bangladesh military court jailed more than 650 border guards Monday for their role in a 2009 mutiny, bringing the total number of soldiers imprisoned for the unrest to nearly 3,000. "In Bangladesh's history, this verdict is unprecedented -- we have never had a case where this many people have been convicted at once," state prosecutor Shahnewaz Tipu said. "A total of 667 guards of the 24th battalion were charged. One died during the trial and nine were acquitted. Among the 657 who were jailed, 108 guards got the highest prison term of seven years," Tipu told AFP.