Stranded Pakistanis begin fast unto death

Members of the Stranded Pakistanis General Repatriation Committee (SPGRC) began the programme at 10:00am at their office at Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur to press the demand.

"Around 100 of them continued the fast yesterday and some of them have fallen sick," Shawkat Ali, general secretary of SPGRC, told The Daily Star in the evening.

Besides, many more at sections 10, 11 and 12 of Mirpur in the city also observed fasting, he said, adding, "Our Chittagong, Rangpur and Bogra offices also observed token hunger strike to meet the demand."

"We contacted Pakistan High Commission here to arrange at least a 10-minute meeting between a 10-member delegation of our group and the Pak PM, but they [high commission] 'bluffed' us," he added.

Bangladesh Human Rights Commission in a press release has asked the Saarc leaders to settle the issue of stranded Pakistanis.