DHAKA, Feb 26: Stranded Pakistanis evicted from Dhaka city’s Mirpur relief camp on Feb 22 staged a token hunger strike here on Wednesday morning, demanding immediate rehabilitation.
“It’s a pity that we could not manage to have even a single roof to shelter our men till today,” said Abdul Jabbar Khan, President of the Stranded Pakistanis General Repatriation Committee (SPGRC), while addressing the token hunger strikers at Muktangoan in the capital city.
Mr Khan reiterated the allegation that the ADC relief camp, where about 3,000 stranded Pakistanis had been living since 1972, was demolished in defiance of a high court order. He also alleged that the eviction was done without any prior notice.
The Pakistan high commission in Dhaka says it has “discussed the issue with the relevant high officials of the government of Bangladesh” and is “expecting a solution soon”.
The authorities of the Dhaka City Corporation and the Housing and Public Works Ministry, on Feb 22, razed some 300 thatched houses in the 30-year-old camp, rendering some 3,000 people home-less.
During the eviction, at least 70 people were injured when the slum dwellers locked in clashes with police.
