Thousands join Gaza march in Bangladeshi capital

​​​​​​​By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Tens of thousands of Bangladeshis gathered Saturday in the capital for the “March for Gaza” rally to demand action from the UN and Muslim-majority countries to stop Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Participants urged the government to restore a former passport clause that bars travel to Israel that was removed in 2021 by the Sheikh Hasina administration despite public backlash. The clause previously said Bangladeshi passports were valid for all countries except Israel, in a show of solidarity with Palestinians.

Protesters also called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Muslim countries to take concrete steps against what they said was the rising repression of Muslims in India under right-wing Hindutva groups.

Islamic scholar Mufti Muhammad Abdul Malek, imam of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, chaired the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Movement, Bangladesh.

Before the rally, thousands marched through the capital holding Palestinian flags.

Attendees included members of major political parties such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, a newly formed student party, religious leaders, student and social media personalities.

“Free, free Palestine. From the river to the sea Palestine will be free. Israeli genocide no more,” protesters chanted. Many criticized Arab and Muslim leaders for silence and inaction.

Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the national newspaper Amar Desh, read the rally’s declaration. He said the situation in Gaza reflects a “combined failure of the world.”

The declaration called for Israeli leaders to be tried at the International Criminal Court, an immediate ceasefire and the creation of a free Palestinian state. It demanded that Muslim countries cut financial and diplomatic ties with Israel and enforce a boycott of Israeli products.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Rahman criticized India for its treatment of Muslim citizens. The declaration called on Muslim countries to support Indian Muslims, citing recent amendments to the Waqf Act passed by parliament as an example of state discrimination.