Bangladesh solidarity rally with Palestine

By the Socialist Party of Bangladesh

On Dec. 29, a solidarity rally and march was held in Bangladesh with the slogan “Genocide, Free Palestine.” The event occurred at Shahbagh Square in Dhaka. It was organized by the “Palestine Solidarity Committee, Bangladesh” Chapter, constituting communist, socialist, left progressive political parties, organizations, educationists and writers. The renowned academician and nonfiction writer Professor Emeritus Sirajul Islam Chowdhury convened the gathering. The Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh also sent a message to the meeting, thanking the progressive people of Bangladesh for standing by the Palestinian people. During the rally, economist professor Anu Muhammad read out a declaration of the rally containing four-point demands.

They demanded that the brutal Israeli aggression and the massacre of Palestinians stop immediately. A complete termination of Israeli occupation and control is imperative to safeguard the lives, livelihoods, security, and full human rights and dignity of the people in both regions of Palestine. Measures should be taken to facilitate the establishment of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine, aligning with internationally recognized agreements, proposals and specified conditions/criteria. 

Bangladesh has had a strong relationship with the Palestinian people since the liberation war. However, recent changes to the passport with a more lenient attitude towards Israel, along with reports of the government acquiring technology for public repression from Israel, have saddened the people of Bangladesh. They strongly condemn these actions and urgently call for a clear and strong commitment from the Bangladesh government in support of the Palestinian liberation struggle.

Veteran communist leader and Socialist Party of Bangladesh (SPB) advisor Comrade Khalekuzzaman, Communist Party of Bangladesh leader Comrade Muzahidul Islam Salim, and Comrade Tipu Biswas attended the rally. SPB General Secretary Comrade Bazlur Rashid Firoz and Assistant General Secretary Comrade Razekuzzaman Ratan, along with leaders of various left-wing, progressive political parties, and leaders of different professional social, cultural & student, women organizations and advanced individuals, were present at this gathering.

After the rally, a vast procession circled the streets of Dhaka City. Hundreds of leaders and workers of the Socialist Party Of Bangladesh-SPB participated with festoons, placards, cartoons and displays with various demands. The slogans of the march were: “Stop the massacre in Gaza immediately,” “stop the shooting immediately,” “cease-fire now,” “liberate Palestine and Gaza,” “prosecute the fascist Netanyahu and Biden administration,” “down with U.S. imperialism,” “Israeli Zionism, let it fall,” etc.