Bangladesh summons Pakistan envoy over Nizami death sentence

Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned Pakistan High Commissioner in Dhaka Shuja Alam to lodge a formal protest over the statement issued by his country on an apex court verdict that paves the way for execution of the country's largest Islamist party chief Motiur Rahman Nizami.

Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Mizanur Rahman summoned Alam at the ministry on Monday afternoon.

A Foreign Ministry official who preferred to be unnamed told Xinhua that a "protest note" was handed over to the Pakistan envoy.

Alam was summoned days after his country expressed concern over the death penalty given to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party Aameer (president) Nizami for the war crimes committed during the 1971 war.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry expressed days ago "deep concern" over the dismissal of Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami's final review petition against his death sentence by Bangladesh's Supreme Court.

The Islamist party chief now only has the option of seeking the president's mercy to stall his imminent execution.

Nizami was indicted in 2012 with 16 charges of crimes against humanity, including looting, mass killings, arson, rape and forcefully converting people to Muslims during the 1971 war. Enditem