DHAKA, March 30: Speakers from home and abroad at a round-table discussion here on Wednesday emphasised the need to resolve immediately the issue of Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh.

The speakers suggested that those among the stranded who want to stay in Bangladesh be given civic rights. As for those who want to go to Pakistan, the gathering urged Dhaka to take up the matter with Islamabad.

“Nearly 75 per cent of the stranded Pakistanis were born in Bangladesh after the ‘war of independence’ (1971), and therefore they have every right to be Bangladeshi citizens if they want,”said Baroness Tonge, a member of Britain’s House of Lords.

She called upon Bangladesh’s major political parties to consider the issue from a humanitarian angle, and not from a political one.

She also assured of collective support from the European Union and other international agencies for effective measures in this regard.

The Dhaka Initiative, which is working in partnership with a local community hospital, organised the discussion on ‘A solution of the Bihari issue’ with the cooperation of the British Council.

Mr Quamruzzaman, a leader of the Dhaka Initiative, said it was essential to consider the matter from a humanitarian viewpoint.

“As all the stranded Pakistanis did not collaborate with the occupation forces, it’s our responsibility to ensure the basic civic rights of the innocent people and to rehabilitate them properly,” said Khushi Kabir, a social activist.

Sultana Kamal, another activist, said those of the stranded people who are skilled in various crafts, eg weaving Benarasi saris, ought to be employed so that they can play a significant role in the economy.