As student protests advocating for Palestinian statehood gain momentum worldwide, universities in Bangladesh witnessed the largest solidarity rallies on Monday, 6 May 2024. Organized by the Bangladesh Student League (BCL), the event marked a significant moment of support against the brutalities done by Israeli forces.
The rallies, simultaneously held on various campuses at 11:00 am, saw the national flags of Bangladesh and Palestine being raised in unity. The event attracted thousands of students, showcasing the overwhelming support for BCL’s initiative.
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In the procession, they chanted slogans such as ‘Free Free Palestine-Stop Genocide’, ‘Let oppression be stopped-Palestine will be free’, ‘We want justice-Victory Victory Palestine’, ‘From the river to the sea-Palestine will be free’ and so on.
The events were not confined to the capital. Major educational institutions like Jahangirnagar University, Chittagong University, and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, along with Shah Azizul Haque College in Bogura and Mymensingh’s Agricultural University, also witnessed significant turnouts.
At Dhaka University, the solidarity event centered around the Raju Sculpture, where BCL’s central unit president and general secretary delivered speeches. Students across the campus carried placards and banners with messages such as “Free Palestine, stop the genocide,” amplifying their call for action.
The president of Bangladesh Chhatra League, Saddam Hossain, general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan, and other central leaders joined the procession from Madhur Canteen to Raju Sculpture of the University of Dhaka.
The Chhatra league’s general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan presided over the rally where DU branch president Majharul Kabir Shayan and general secretary Tanvir Hasan Saikat, Dhaka Metropolitan North unit president Riyaz Mahmud and general secretary Sagar Ahmed Shamim, South Chhatra League president Rajibul Islam Bappi and general secretary Sajal Kundu spoke.
In addition, Palestinian students studying in Bangladesh, Ishak Ahmed and Abdullah Badaui, also spoke.
In the gathering, Saddam Hossain said that for those who have aided the aggression in Palestine with weapons, the victory cry of the indomitable movement has echoed from their own country. Those who have vetoed against Palestine’s independence in the Security Council, the youth of that country have spoken in favor of independence.
Saddam Hossain said, those who give the certificate of democracy and freedom of speech, their masks have been unveiled in the recent incident of student arrests and suspensions at Columbia University. There, more than 2500 students have been arrested due to the movement. A Bangladeshi student of the Neuroscience Department of Columbia University has been suspended for participating in the movement.
He said, the Chhatra league knows the pain of genocide. Israel has committed war crimes by attacking schools and hospitals and killing women and children. We want to ask the world forums, when will Israel’s attack be recognized as ‘genocide’.
“In different parts of the world, whoever raises their voices for Palestine’s liberation movement, fights against the aggression, we express solidarity for them on behalf of Bangladesh’s student community”, Saddam added.
Bangladesh Chhatra League general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan said, the Colombian tide touches the shore of the Bay of Bengal from the Atlantic shore. Today, Bangladesh Chhatra League’s mass movement with the students’ community, youths across the country. This movement’s tide will reach the Gaza Strip. And from the Gaza strip, all unjust, oppression will be washed away.”
Majharul Kabir Shayan, the president of the BCL DU unit, said, we perceive the plight of Palestine with our hearts. Students of different races, religions, and castes around the world have united against the continuous 75 years of aggression.
Tanvir Hasan Saikat said we have not seen such cruelty as bombing hospitals in any war. Those in the world who will speak against injustice, are our brothers.
Earlier at a press conference organized at the Madhur Canteen of Dhaka University, the Chhatra League announced a nationwide simultaneous hoisting of the flag of Bangladesh along with the flag of Palestine, processions, and student assemblies.
Protests in solidarity with Palestine were held Sunday in Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands, with hundreds of people demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, according to international media.
Palestinian Students Expressed Gratitude to PM and BCL
Two Palestinian students studying in Bangladesh have expressed their gratitude and appreciation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Chhatra League for showing solidarity with the Palestinian people. They expressed their gratitude to the grand rally organized by BCL.
Isaac Namoura, a Palestinian citizen studying in Bangladesh, said that Palestine has been oppressed for the past 75 years, but the powerful countries of the world are not resolving it. He mentioned that various universities, including Columbia University in the United States, have protested in solidarity with them, even facing police attacks in the United States. He thanked everyone from the core of their hearts for showing solidarity with them today, especially the Bangladesh government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Abdullah Badawi, a student leader of the Palestinian students studying in Bangladesh and residing in Bangladesh, said that their fundamental rights have been violated for a long time. Genocide is being committed against them. The cries of their mothers and sisters do not come in all statistics. He expressed his gratitude to the Bangladesh government and Sheikh Hasina for showing solidarity with Palestine. He also thanked the student community of Bangladesh.
At the rally, Saddam also readout a memorandum of peace letter expressing formal sympathy to the students involved in the worldwide movement including those at Columbia University.
‘Memorandum of Peace’
Bangladesh Chhatra League stands for justice, peace, and a free Palestine. And in solidarity with the ongoing global students’ movement, in the symphony of human story Where the echoes of oppression mingle with the melodies of freedom, students around the world rise as a beacon of hope, unwavering in our commitment to justice, peace, and a free Palestine, and solidarity with the oppressed peoples of the world. Today, as the sun sets upon the lands of Palestine, catching shadows of injustice upon the hearts of its people, we stand in solid solidarity with the global student movement. In the symphony of human history, where the echoes of oppression mingle with the melodies of freedom, students around the world rise as a beacon of hope, unwavering in our commitment to justice, peace, and solidarity with the US people of the world. Today, as the sun sets upon the lands of Palestine, catching shadows of injustice upon the hearts of its people, we stand in solid solidarity with the global student movement, demanding an end to the war of the genocidal regime of Israel and the establishment of a free and independent Palestine. For too long, the Palestinian people have borne the band of a brutal occupation. Their dreams of freedom, are shackled by the chains of oppression. From the rubble-storming streets of Gajah to the olive globes of the West Bank, the cries of the oppressed, Eiko, through the corridors of power, demanding to be heard by a world too open deep to their suffering.
Remember, it did not start from October 7th. The Bangladesh Chhatra League, blown from the crucible of our nation’s freedom struggle, stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Our legacy is one of caress, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication to the principles of justice and equality. Just as our forefathers fought briefly for the liberation of our own land, so too do we stand with our Palestinian brothers and sisters in their struggle for freedom. In the elite halls of Academia, the torchbearers of change have risen. From Columbia University to Tulane University, from the City University of New York to the University of California, students defied intimidation and repression, demanding divestment from the arms that will the machinery of oppression and genocide. Their courage is a beacon of hope, illuminating the path toward the world, free from the shackles of war and conflict. We strongly condemn the forceful suppression of their rightful demand to divest from the apparatus of the genocidal regime. The foreseeable expression of their settlements, coupled with a despicable assault on students and educators by security forces, flagrantly undermines the fundamental democratic principle of freedom of expression and assembly that we cherish.
Students of this campus are demonstrating the rejuvenating power of Kaaris. This rejuvenating power is undermining the becket-long suppression of the Palestinian dream. As we gather in solidarity, let us hit the call for peace and injustice that rezones across borders. Let us envision a world where the cries of the oppressed heart, why the flames of resistance, Illuminate the darkest corners of tyranny. Let Palestine stand as a testament to the indomitable spirit of humanity, a beacon of hope for a future founded on equality and justice. As we march forward, guided by the timeless wisdom of our Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, we declare our unwavering allegiance to the oppressed. For he taught us that in a world divided between oppressors and the oppressed, our duty lies with the letter. In his full stress, we treat strict first in our commitment to justice, peace, and solidarity. He told us that our national liberation remains incomplete unless and until a free and independent Palestinian state is established. But our struggle does not end with the liberation of Palestine. It extends to every corner of the globe, where injustice and oppression rear their ugly heads.
From the war-torn lands to the refugee camps, the cries of the oppressed call out to us, demanding action, demanding justice. And yet, even as we fight against the injustice of today, we must also confront the challenges of tomorrow. Climate change, the great existential threat of our time, looms large on the horizon, threatening to engulf us all in its fire embrace. But just as we have united in solidarity to fight against oppression or injustice, so we must unite to confront this common enemy. To the leaders of the world, we say the time to take action is now. The time to stand in solidarity with the oppressed to fight for justice, peace, and equality is now. Let us put aside differences and come together as one united in our determination to build a better world for all. The worthy daughter of the Father of the Nation, the architect of modern Bangladesh, in various international forums and platforms. She has consistently advocated for the interests of the Palestinian people. Following the ongoing onset of extensive violence and destruction in Gaza, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promptly expressed strong opposition. I mean, she immediately called for an end to the violence, declaring a ceasefire and urging for comprehensive international support for the immediate dispatch of aid, food, water, and medical supplies, along with sedation of hostilities.
In the spirit of this fraternity and solidarity, we call upon the international community to join hands in ending the raid of terror, infected upon the Palestinian people. Let us dismantle the walls of oppression and build breaches of solidarity that are spent continent. Let us place ourselves in the noble cause of peace, knowing that in our unity lies the power to transform the world. Let us raise our voices in unison, proclaiming to the world that justice will prevail, the peace will jump, and the oppressed will rise. Divest from the genocidal apparatus, invest in peace, justice, unity, and solidarity. Joy Bangla, joy Bangabandhu, joy Palestine.
