Bangladesh protests Turkey’s reaction
Bangladesh on Monday protested Turkey’s statement over the execution of war criminal Mir Quasem Ali.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh issued a note verbale to the Turkish Embassy in Dhaka and conveyed Bangladesh’s dismay at the issuance of statement by Turkish government on the execution Mir Quasem, a convict of crimes against humanity and genocide in Bangladesh, reports UNB.
Bangladesh said that such reactions are tantamount to interference in matters pertaining to a sovereign State.
‘This also doesn’t help foster bilateral relations that exist between the two brotherly countries,’ the protest note contained.
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 crime and crime against humanity committed in 1971, the long-cherished aspiration of the nation will be fulfilled, justice ensured, the rule of law upheld and opportunities for true reconciliation will be created.
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 Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.
The verdict against him was 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.
The prosecution produced irrefutable oral and documentary evidence proving charges against Ali beyond reasonable doubts, it said.
The defence lawyers of Mir Quasem were given unimpeded access to the proceedings of the court throughout the trial process.
The ICT-BD trials took solely into consideration the crimes i.e. crimes against humanity and genocide in Bangladesh committed by Mr Ali during 1971 and was not at all based on his political identity or affiliation.
Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement on Sunday said, ‘We’ve 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.’
Turkey insisted once again saying 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.’
