Don’t Interfere: Bangladesh Tells Pak Over Remark of Ali’s Hanging

Pakistan said it was “deeply saddened over the execution of Mir Quasem Ali...through a flawed judicial process.”

Supporters and Pakistani leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami pray during a special prayers for Mir Quashem Ali, leader of the Bangladeshs largest Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami. (Photo: PTI)

Bangladesh summoned Pakistan’s envoy, on Sunday, to protest its “interference” in the country’s internal affairs after Islamabad said it was “deeply saddened” by the execution of Jamaat leader and 1971 war criminal, Mir Quasem Ali.

Bangladesh Additional Foreign Secretary for Bilateral Affairs, Qamrul Ahsan summoned Pakistani High Commissioner, Samina Mehtab to protest against the reaction.

The opinion that Pakistan gave over the execution of Mir Quasem Ali was entirely tantamount to interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs.

Qamrul Ahsan, Bangladesh Additional Foreign Secretary for Bilateral Affairs

Pakistan reacted just an hour after the hanging of the 63-year-old media tycoon on Saturday, the sixth Islamist to be executed for war crimes committed during the 1971 war. Its Foreign Office said in a statement that Pakistan was “deeply saddened over the execution of the prominent leader... through a flawed judicial process.”

Ahsan said he told the Pakistani envoy that Mir Quasem’s trial “took place in a very transparent manner, in front of everybody.”

Officials said the meeting betwen the two senior diplomats lasted for 20 minutes. “Nothing much to say,” Mehtab told reporters after coming out of Ahsan’s office.

Mir Quasem was the infamous pro-Pakistani Al-Badr militia’s third most important figure. He was convicted of running Al-Badr’s torture cell that killed several people.