ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bangladesh summoned each other’s ambassadors on Thursday to register “strong protest” in connection with a row over the execution of an Islamist leader in Dhaka this week, both sides said in their statements.

Bangladesh has in the past few years been prosecuting people accused of carrying out crimes in support of Pakistani forces during the 1971 war, and has executed five of them, the most recent one, Motiur Rehman Nizami, on Wednesday.

In a statement here, the Foreign Office said the acting high commissioner of Bangladesh was summoned to the foreign ministry by director general for South Asia and Saarc and a “strong protest” was lodged over the “unfortunate hanging”.

“The attempts by the government of Bangladesh to malign Pakistan, despite our keen desire to develop brotherly relations with it, are regrettable,” the statement said.

“It needs to be emphasised that, as part of the [1974 Tripartite] Agreement, the government of Bangladesh decided not to proceed with the trials as an act of clemency,” the Foreign Office added.

For its part, Bangladesh summoned the Pakistani ambassador in Dhaka to register its “strong protest” over statements on the issue by Pakistan.

“The government of Bangladesh deeply regrets that despite Bangladesh’s repeated overtures, the malicious campaign by Pakistan against the trials of the crimes against humanity and genocide in Bangladesh is continuing,” Bangladesh said in its statement.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2016