Gonojagoron Mancha to lay siege to Pak mission Jan 20

A Gonojagoron Mancha faction led by Imran H Sarker yesterday announced laying siege to the Pakistan high commission in Dhaka on January 20 protesting Pakistan's request to withdraw a senior diplomat and denial of the 1971 genocide.

Starting off around 3:00pm, the programme is to protest "instigation of militancy and breaching of diplomatic norms" by Islamabad, said Imran H Sarker, spokesperson of the anti-war criminal platform, at a rally in the capital's Shahbagh protesting "government inaction".

On January 5, Pakistan asked Bangladesh to withdraw Moushumi Rahman, counsellor (political) and head of Chancery at the Bangladesh mission in Islamabad, in 48 hours.

The move appears to be countering the withdrawal of Pakistani diplomat Farina Arshad on December 23 last year after Bangladesh accused her of terror financing.