Bangladeshi students hold pro-Palestine rally near US Embassy in Dhaka

DHAKA, Bangladesh

Hundreds of Bangladeshi students on Thursday staged a pro-Palestine rally that culminated in a sit-in demonstration near the US Embassy in Dhaka.

Chanting slogans like "Stop Genocide" and "Free Palestine," the students called for attention to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The demonstration was arranged in solidarity with the global student protests that have erupted in different universities across the US and Europe over the past few weeks. Last Monday, students of some universities in Bangladesh also marched across campuses, demanding an end to the "genocide" in Gaza.

But Thursday's protest was significant because it was the first time since Israel's disproportionate offensive in Gaza that people in Bangladesh have protested near the US diplomatic mission.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack last year by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed about 1,200 people.

More than 34,800 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and 78,400 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

'Biden-Blinken you can't hide - We charge you with a genocide'

Amid tight security, the pro-Palestine rally marched toward the US Embassy with slogans like “How many kids will you kill today? Hey Biden, what do you say?”, “Biden-Blinken you can’t hide. We charge you with a genocide.”

Several hundred people joined the rally as it moved toward the embassy in the diplomatic zone of the South Asian nation’s capital.

The rally ended near the embassy as dozens of armed police and special battalions did not allow the participants to arrange the sit-in in front of the gate of the US Embassy in Dhaka.

Moshiur Rahman, one of the main coordinators of Thursday’s rally, told Anadolu that Israel’s atrocity in Gaza would not have continued if the US did not provide the support.

“They (US) are responsible for this genocide. That’s why we arranged this program to plead with them to stop their support for Israel,” said Rahman.

Renowned human rights activist Rahnuma Ahmed, who took part in the rally with protesting students, said the US not only provided military and financial aid to Israel but also made sure that the media in the Western world gave a very “biased and untrue coverage” of Israel’s atrocities.

“But their hypocrisy is now exposed. The students in their own universities are now jailed for raising voices against genocide,” said Ahmed.

Meanwhile, in neighboring India, members of the Students’ Federation of India were detained in Chennai, the capital of the southern Tamil Nadu state, on Tuesday as they attempted to march toward the US consulate, condemning Washington's support for Israel.

“Students’ Federation of India Chennai district committees condemned the arrogance of US imperialism for attacking students fighting and struggling in support of Palestine,” the federation said in a statement.

In India, several parts have also witnessed pro-Palestine demonstrations.

Demonstrations have also been held in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan, while students in Australia continue to press for divestment from Israel.

​​​​​​​*Ahmad Adil in New Delhi contributed to this story.