Turkish President Abdullah Gul. |
Tension
intensified as Ankara summoned yesterday Bangladesh Ambassador to Turkey Md
Zulfiqur Rahman, a day after Dhaka summoned Turkish Ambassador in Bangladesh
Mehmet Vakur Erkul on Wednesday.
The
foreign ministry sources told The Daily Star yesterday that content of the
December 23 letter from the Turkish president is not acceptable and it is a
clear interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh. Gul said the accused
leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami are too old to stand trial and apprehended that it
might cause a civil war in Bangladesh, the sources mentioned.
Dhaka was
surprised to get such a letter and was going to send a reply to the Turkish
president, but it was delayed because of the president's illness.
Turkish NGO’s Violation of “On Arrival Visa” Rules
A scene from 1971 Bangladesh war-of-independence. |
The
foreign ministry summoned the Turkish envoy in Dhaka and asked him to explain
the NGO team's visit without informing the government. Acting Foreign Secretary
Mustafa Kamal also handed over an aide memoir (diplomatic letter) to the
ambassador in which Dhaka strongly protested Gul's letter and said it was an
interference in the internal affairs of the country.
The aide
memoir categorically mentioned that Bangladesh government is determined to
conduct the war crimes trial as there is overwhelming support from the people. It
said the trial is taking place in the most transparent way by maintaining
international standard, and categorically stated that the government will not
compromise on this specific issue.
The
two-page letter also mentioned the visit of the Turkish NGO delegation which it
said misused the “on arrival visa” facility.
“Bangladesh
believes that it is not the job of a friendly country to create any problem or
confusion about an issue and hopes that this type of incident will not happen
again,” the letter stated.
In 2009,
Dhaka unilaterally offered “on arrival visa” for tourist, investor, business,
official, diplomatic and special passport holders, while Ankara approved on
arrival visa only for official and diplomatic passport holders from the middle
of this year.
Talking
to The Daily Star yesterday, some foreign ministry officials said the
government could have sent back the NGO delegation but it refrained from doing
so considering the excellent bilateral ties with Turkey and the recent exchange
of visits at president and prime minister level.
Pakistani forces committing war crimes in 1971 war. |
A senior
official said during the meeting with acting foreign secretary, the envoy
claimed that the delegation's visit was not sponsored by the Turkish
government, but he failed to give a satisfactory reply when asked why he
accompanied the team during meetings with the opposition leaders.
Asked, a
senior official that despite the tension, the existing bilateral relations with
Turkey will not be affected and "our cooperation in all sectors will
continue".
Turkish President’s Letter Interfering Bangladeshi Affairs
Bangladeshi woman raped and killed by Ghulam Azam's pro-Pakistan Islamist militiamen. |
Sources
said the Turkish president in his one-page letter, written in Turkish language
and attached with English translation, requested Zillur not to give death
sentence to Ghulam Azam and other Jamaat leaders.
President
Gul said they came to know former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam is being tried at
the International Crimes Tribunal. It is learnt that this 90-year-old leader
might be sentenced to death. Some other elderly leaders are also facing trial,
which is a matter of great concern.
According
to the Turkish president, if these leaders are punished, it might affect
Bangladesh's socio-economic advancement and cause social instability and
bloodshed.
Islamist and alleged war-criminal Ghulam Azam. |
Ghulam
Azam, the former leader of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party, is alleged to
have created and led pro-Pakistan Islamic militias which carried out numerous murders
and rapes during the nine-month long war of independence from Pakistan in 1971.)
Related posts at following links:
Armenian Genocide (1915-1918)
Related posts at following links:
Armenian Genocide (1915-1918)