Dhaka: Despite widespread international condemnation of the incident, Bangladesh summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Swedish Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday to express its opposition to the burning of a copy of the Qur'an in Stockholm. 

Many Muslim nations expressed outrage and condemned the Swedish government after the Qur'an was burned outside a mosque in Sweden during Eid Al-Adha. 

As protests spread throughout the Muslim world, Bangladesh was the first nation in Asia to summon the Swedish envoy on Sunday to express its disapproval of the "despicable act." 

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On Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement urging an end to "unwarranted provocations for the sake of harmony and peaceful coexistence." 

In the name of "freedom of expression," Bangladesh expressed "grave concern" over the heinous act of insulting Muslims' sacred values and religious symbols. 

A man identified as an Iraqi refugee tore up pages of the Qur'an and set it on fire in front of Stockholm's largest mosque on Wednesday as Muslims observed Eid Al-Adha, one of the most significant holidays in the Islamic calendar. 

Experts predicted that the recent incident in Stockholm and Dhaka's subsequent summons of the Swedish envoy would have little effect on bilateral relations. 

"This is a religious matter that affects all of the Muslims in the nation. Muslims all over the world are highly sensitive to any disrespect for the holy Qur'an. Former Bangladeshi ambassador to the US Humayun Kabir told Arab News, "It's a very emotional and sensitive issue for us. 

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I believe calling the chargé d'affaires was a wise move. Since Sweden is aware that this summons issue is sensitive for us, I don't believe it will have a significant impact on our bilateral relations. 

Sweden has described Bangladesh as a "important and growing Swedish trade partner," with steady growth in the sector, and has described it as the "cornerstone" of Bangladesh's relations with it.

More than 150 million people in Bangladesh, or more than 91 percent of the country's total population, identify as Muslims, making it one of the largest Muslim-majority nations in the world. 

Former foreign secretary at the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Touhid Hossain, emphasised that Sweden is not the only country protesting the burning of the Qur'an. 

"We are not on our own. Several Muslim nations responded to this issue. Many, not all Muslim nations,"

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"The government ought to act in accordance with the opinions of its citizens. Even if no one takes to the streets to protest, everyone is dissatisfied. There is no question in my mind. Therefore, as part of its duty, the government took this initiative, he said. 

"It is illogical to use the phrase "freedom of expression" to defend an incident of this nature. It is an act of hate. Hate cannot be a form of free speech.