People staged protests on Friday in the capital Dhaka and several other places in the country against Israel鈥檚 assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza before being attacked and seized by Israeli forces.
They took to the streets in different parts of the capital Dhaka and Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, and in other districts, including Naogaon, Satkhira and Sylhet.
The demonstrators, ranging from politicians to ordinary people, demanded the聽 immediate release of flotilla activists and an end to the genocide in Gaza.
According to an Agence France-Presse report, the Global Sumud Flotilla 鈥� consisting of dozens of ships 鈥� set sail past month, ferrying politicians and activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, towards Gaza, where the United Nations says famine is taking hold.
The Israeli navy began intercepting them on October 1 and the flotilla said on Friday that 42 vessels had been 鈥榠llegally intercepted鈥� and their passengers 鈥榰nlawfully abducted鈥�, the report said.
Bangladesh鈥檚 renowned photographer and rights activist Shahidul Alam, who also joined the Flotilla, wrote in his verified Facebook page on Friday, 鈥榃e are separate from Sumud Flotilla. That was always the intention and the strategy.鈥�
A protest programme, titled 鈥楶rotest against Israel鈥檚 attack on Sumud Flotilla and ongoing genocide鈥�, was organised on Friday at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital by the Bangladesh Youth Synergy Alliance, a platform of young activists, in collaboration with 70 organisations working in the fields of environment, climate, human rights, social and cultural affairs, sports, education and volunteer networks.
About 100 young activists carrying Palestinian flags marched for about an hour from 3:30pm, chanting slogans including 鈥楩ree, Free Palestine,鈥� 鈥楯ustice for Palestine,鈥� 鈥楩reedom for Palestine,鈥� and 鈥楩rom the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free.鈥�
They also held banners reading 鈥楢ll Eyes on Palestine, End Genocide鈥� and 鈥楤angladesh Stands with Palestine,鈥� while several wore the Palestinian keffiyeh as a symbol of solidarity.
The protesters demanded the immediate release of all detained volunteers and humanitarian workers, and necessary steps to lift the blockade on Gaza.
They also called for the protection of Palestinian civilians with an immediate end to acts amounting to genocide, a halt to arms sales to Israel.
They also demanded that the Israel defence forces be officially designated as a terrorist organisation.
Leaders of Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad, a coalition of 18 labour rights bodies, organised a protest rally in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka where Bangladesh Labour Federation general secretary Shakil Akhter Chowdhury said that not only Israel but also American imperialists were complicit in the atrocities in Palestine.
Trade Union Centre鈥檚 acting president Mahbubul Alam called on the world community to raise its voice in protest against Israel鈥檚 mass killings in Gaza and to compel Israel to end the violence.
The rally was followed by a march through different city streets.
After jumma prayers, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami staged a protest rally in front of the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
The party鈥檚 joint secretary general, Rafiqul Islam Khan, demanded the arrest of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of killing Palestinian people.
Residents of Dhanmondi and Jhigatola also marched from Jhigatola to Dhanmondi 27, denouncing Israel鈥檚 interception of the Flotilla while calling for a boycott of Israeli and US products.
Members of the Palestine Solidarity Committee, Bangladesh also staged protest rally at Shahbagh.
抖阴精品 correspondent at Jahangirnagar University reported that the JU Central Students鈥� Union also held a protest rally on campus, where faculty members, officials and students from various departments joined to express solidarity.
The rally condemned Israel鈥檚 blockade of humanitarian assistance as a grave threat to humanity and called for intensified global efforts to secure Palestine鈥檚 liberation.