Turkey sends statement expressing ‘sadness’ at execution of war criminals

Turkey has learnt with “sadness” that Bangladesh has executed war criminals Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, and has advised Dhaka to abolish capital punishment.

In a statement, Ankara also expressed its concern that the Bangladesh President had rejected their mercy pleas.
 
The Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mujahid and BNP-leader Chowdhury were executed in the early hours of Sunday after their conviction as war criminals.
 
Both had assisted the Pakistani occupation forces and campaigned for a united and non-secular Pakistan in 1971. They took part in killing Hindus, freedom fighters and people who supported the War of Liberation.
 
Bangladesh won its independence after nine months of bloody war.
 
“It is a cause of concern that although they had apologized to the President, using their legal rights, their wishes were rejected and that the practice of capital punishment is still being continued,” said the statement issued by the Turkish foreign ministry.
 
“As a country that has abolished the death sentence, Turkey maintains its belief that the injuries of the past cannot be healed through such methods.
 
“We consider that there is a need also in the brotherly country Bangladesh for another method to replace capital punishment as soon as possible, which would better serve the purposes of social reconciliation,” it said.
 
Earlier, Bangladesh protested strongly when Pakistan said it was “deeply disturbed” over the executions. The foreign ministry summoned the Pakistan High Commissioner in Dhaka on Monday.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam has said that Bangladesh is no more in a position where it will accept any adverse remarks over the war crimes trial.