In a diplomatic fallout, Dhaka on Monday strongly protested Ankara’s reaction on the execution of war criminal Mir Quasem Ali.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a ‘note verbale’ to the Turkish Embassy in Dhaka saying that the reaction of Ankara is tantamount to interference in matters pertaining to a sovereign state.
“This also does not help foster bilateral relations that exist between the two brotherly countries,” the protest note contains, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry this afternoon. Turkish Foreign Ministry reacted sharply after the hanging of Mir Quasem Ali and issued a press release on its website on September 4.
“We have learned with sorrow that the death sentence issued by the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh against Mir Quasem Ali, Key-Financier and Central Executive Council Member of the Jamaat-e-Islami, has been executed in Bangladesh,” according to the press release of Turkish Foreign Ministry.
It added: “We stress once again that the wounds of the past cannot be healed with these methods and hope that this wrong practice will not lead to separation among the brotherly people of Bangladesh”.
Pakistan also showed a similar reaction after the execution of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh moneyman Mir Quasem Ali.
Given the genesis of the establishing of the International Crimes Tribunals (ICT-BD), it was expressed that through these trials against the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in 1971, the long cherished aspiration of the nation will be fulfilled, justice ensured, rule of law upheld and opportunities for true reconciliation will be created, according to the note of Bangladesh Foreign Ministry.
The note verbale elaborated the crimes perpetrated by Mir Quasem Ali, one of the central commanders of the infamous Al-Badr militia force in 1971, who was involved in the commission of offences of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including planning, instigating and executing genocide, murder, abduction and torture in Chittagong during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
The verdicts against him had been handed down through an independent, fair and transparent judicial process, with full access given to national and international media and without any political interference, said the Foreign Ministry press release.
It also said the prosecution produced irrefutable oral and documentary evidence proving charges against Mir Quasem beyond reasonable doubts. The defence lawyers of Ali had been given unimpeded access to the proceedings of the court throughout the trial process.
The ICT-BD trials took solely into consideration the crimes committed by Ali during 1971 and was not at all based on his political identity or affiliation.
“We lodged strong protest against the statements of Turkey and Pakistan,” State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told The New Nation on Monday.
He added: It is a matter of great regret that Turkey and Pakistan continues to comment in the misguided defence of the convicted criminals. These reactions are direct interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country, which is totally unacceptable.
Earlier, Turkey strongly condemned the execution of top Jamaat leader Motiur Rahman Nizami and reacted angrily when Bangladesh executed its first convicted war criminal in December 2013.
