Noida, India

The execution of Jamaat-e-Islami financier Mir Quasem Ali for committing war crimes in 1971 has ignited an angry diplomatic debate between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Pakistan said it was "deeply saddened" about the hanging of Quasem as his execution took place due to a "flawed judicial process".

Bangladesh reacted to the statement by summoning Pakistani Acting High Commissioner Samina Mehtab and handing him a “note verbale” to mark their strong protest, local news website bdnews24.com reported.

Quasem was handed a death sentence by the International Crime Tribunal on two counts, including kidnapping and murder of a teenager who wanted East Pakistan to become a separate country.

It must be remembered that East Pakistan, present-day Bangladesh, was a Pakistani state till they fought a war in 1971 to carve their own state.

"The act of suppressing the Opposition through flawed trials is completely against the spirit of democracy," Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Zakaria had said in reaction to Quasem's death. "The government of Bangladesh should uphold its commitment, as per the Tripartite Agreement of 1974, wherein it 'decided not to proceed with the trials as an act of clemency'."

Quasem was executed in a high-security prison in Bangladesh on Saturday night.

(WION with inputs from agencies)