Birgunj, September 22:

Prisoners in Birgunj jail today started a fast-unto-death as part of their 11th phase of agitation seeking general amnesty and release.

The Prisoners’ Release Campaign Committee coordinator, Yogendra Roy Yadav, said the prisoners went on fast-unto-death as their demands had not been taken seriously by the authorities concerned.

Yadav added that the prisoners had sent a letter through the jail warden to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala three days ago seeking general amnesty and calling for converting the Rana period prison into a reform home, among other demands.

They had given a three-day deadline for fulfilment of their demands.

Prisoners in the Birgunj jail have been agitating in phases for the last four months to press their demands.

Male prisoners Firoz Ahmad, Nar Bahadur Adhikari Chhetri, Umesh Shah, Hara Kunwar, Harendra Kumar and female prisoner Bhawani Kandel are on fast-unto-death.

Over 500 prisoners housed in the jail staged a demonstration shouting slogans for their release.