[🇧🇩] Israel and Hamas war in Gaza-----Can Bangladesh be a peace broker?

[Saif]

US revokes Bangladeshi student’s visa over anti-Israel protest

The United States has revoked the visa of a Bangladeshi student and detained her after she participated in a protest against Israeli actions in Gaza. In a separate incident, another Bangladeshi student was arrested even though a previous theft case against him had already been resolved. New York-b

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

US revokes Bangladeshi student’s visa over anti-Israel protest
bdnews24.com
Published :
Apr 05, 2025 12:33
Updated :
Apr 05, 2025 12:33

The United States has revoked the visa of a Bangladeshi student and detained her after she participated in a protest against Israeli actions in Gaza. In a separate incident, another Bangladeshi student was arrested even though a previous theft case against him had already been resolved.

New York-based immigration attorney Moin Chowdhury said efforts were underway to secure the release of the student detained over the protest.

He added that a university student was caught stealing $70 worth of goods from a store a few months ago.

“In that petty theft case, the student pleaded guilty and the court closed the matter. However, he too was arrested last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He had his visa revoked and was taken to a detention centre for deportation to Bangladesh.”

Meanwhile, nearly a dozen Bangladeshi nationals were recently sent back from New York's JFK Airport after failing to provide satisfactory answers to questions from customs officers. Among them were both green card holders and individuals arriving on family-based immigrant visas.

Given the recent developments, Moin Chowdhury, director of the American International Bar Association, advised those returning to or entering the US on immigrant visas to be thoroughly prepared.

“Green card holders who don’t spend most of the year residing in the US are being questioned at airports. In several recent cases, individuals were allowed to enter only after signing affidavits. The warning is clear: if you stay out of the country for more than 10 months a year, your green card could be revoked.”

AOC VOWS TO STAND BY BANGLADESHI COMMUNITY

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York’s 14th Congressional District -- home to a large Bangladeshi population -- met with members of the Bangladeshi immigrant community on Thursday to hear their concerns and offer reassurance amid the Trump administration’s anti-immigration crackdown.

During the meeting, Ocasio-Cortez discussed the current situation of the community with Shahjahan Sheikh, chair of the Immigration Committee of the Bronx Community Board.

The Congresswoman assured attendees that her office remains open for immediate assistance and said that her district office, led by Bangladeshi-American Director Noureen Akhter, is committed to helping with any immigration-related issues.

Speaking to bdnews24.com after the event, Shahjahan said: “It’s not just undocumented individuals -- many green card holders are now living in fear due to the raids. In the name of targeting undocumented immigrants, authorities are questioning anyone they come across. If the answers aren’t deemed satisfactory, they’re being arrested.”​

 

[Saif]

Israeli military changes initial account of Gaza aid worker killings

The Israeli military has provided new details that changed its initial account of the killing of 15 emergency workers near the southern Gaza city of Rafah last month but said investigators were still examining the evidence. The 15 paramedics and emergency responders were shot dead on March 23 and

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Israeli military changes initial account of Gaza aid worker killings
REUTERS
Published :
Apr 06, 2025 21:46
Updated :
Apr 06, 2025 21:46

The Israeli military has provided new details that changed its initial account of the killing of 15 emergency workers near the southern Gaza city of Rafah last month but said investigators were still examining the evidence.

The 15 paramedics and emergency responders were shot dead on March 23 and buried in a shallow grave where their bodies were found a week later by officials from the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent. Another man is still missing.

The military initially said soldiers had opened fire on vehicles that approached their position "suspiciously" in the dark without lights or markings. It said they killed nine militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad who were travelling in Palestinian Red Crescent vehicles.

But video recovered from the mobile phone of one of the dead men and published by the Palestinian Red Crescent showed emergency workers in their uniforms and clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks, with their lights on, being fired on by soldiers.

The only known survivor of the incident, Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic Munther Abed, also said he had seen soldiers opening fire on clearly marked emergency response vehicles.

An Israeli military official said late on Saturday the investigators were examining the video and conclusions were expected to be presented to army commanders on Sunday.

He said the initial report received from the field did not describe lights but that investigators were looking at "operational information" and were trying to understand if this was due to an error by the person making the initial report.

"What we understand currently is the person who gives the initial account is mistaken. We're trying to understand why."

Israeli media briefed by the military reported that troops had identified at least six of the 15 dead as members of militant groups. However, the official declined to provide any evidence or detail of how the identifications were made, saying he did not want to share classified information.

"According to our information, there were terrorists there but this investigation is not over," he told reporters at the briefing late on Saturday.

The UN and Palestinian Red Crescent have demanded an independent inquiry into the killing of the paramedics.

Red Crescent and UN officials have said 17 paramedics and emergency workers from the Red Crescent, the Civil Emergency service and the UN had been dispatched to respond to reports of injuries from Israeli air strikes.

Apart from Abed, who was detained for several hours before being released, another worker is still missing.

The UN said last week that available information indicated one team was killed by Israeli forces and other emergency and aid crews were killed one after another over several hours as they searched for their missing colleagues.

OPENED FIRE

The military official said initial findings from the investigation showed troops had opened fire on a vehicle at around 4 a.m., killing two members of the Hamas internal security forces, and taking another prisoner, who the official said had admitted under interrogation to being in Hamas.

As time passed, several vehicles passed along the road until, at around 6 a.m., he said troops received word from aerial surveillance that a suspicious group of vehicles was approaching.

"They feel this is another incident like what happened at 4 a.m. and they opened fire," the official said.

He said aerial surveillance footage showed the troops were at some distance when they opened fire, and he denied reports that the troops handcuffed at least some of the paramedics and shot them at close range.

"It's not from close. They opened fire from afar," he said. "There's no mistreatment of the people there."

He said the soldiers had approached the group they had shot, identifying at least some of them as militants. However he did not explain what evidence had prompted the assessment.

"And in their eyes they had an encounter with terrorists, that is a successful encounter with terrorists."

He said the troops had informed the UN of the incident on the same day and initially covered the bodies with camouflage netting until they could be recovered.

"There was no incident where the IDF tried to cover up. On the contrary, they called the UN immediately." There was no immediate comment from UN officials.

Later, when the UN did not immediately come to take the bodies, the soldiers covered them with sand to stop animals from getting at them, the official said.

He said the vehicles were pushed out of the way by a heavy engineering vehicle to clear the road but he could not explain why the vehicles were crushed by the engineering vehicle and then buried.

The United Nations confirmed last week that it had been informed of the location of the bodies but that access to the area was denied by Israel for several days. It said the bodies had been buried alongside their crushed vehicles - clearly marked ambulances, a fire truck and a UN car.​

 

[Saif]

https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/education/news/standing-gaza-students-go-strike-across-bangladesh-3865061

Standing with Gaza: Students go on strike across Bangladesh

Students gathered in front of Raju Memorial in Dhaka University today, demanding an end to the violence in Gaza. Photo: STAR

Students, universities, and political parties have announced programmes in solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza.

Today's programmes include strikes in educational institutions and workplaces and demonstrations in the capital and other cities, denouncing the ongoing genocide and mass destruction in Gaza.

The announcements follow a global call to action by Palestinian activists, urging schools, universities, offices, and courts to shut down simultaneously to demand an immediate end to the violence.

In response, students from dozens of institutions across the country announced the suspension of academic activities. Dhaka University (DU) and Rajshahi University (RU) authorities officially backed the strike.

Since Israel launched its offensive on Gaza -- a 365-square-kilometre enclave of 2.4 million people -- on October 7, 2023, at least 50,695 Palestinians have been killed and 115,338 others wounded. According to the United Nations, nearly 69 percent of Gaza's buildings have been destroyed or damaged.

According to Wafa news agency, the official news agency of the Palestinians, the call for today's strike was made, protesting the horrific massacres and crimes committed by Israeli forces. These include the killing of civilians, particularly children and women, and the widespread destruction aimed at displacing Palestinians from their homes.

A press release signed by Mohammad Rofiqul Islam, director of DU's Public Relations Office, said classes and exams would remain suspended today and university offices would be closed from 9:00am to 11:00am. A revised exam schedule will be announced later.

At least 12 DU departments, along with the Faculties of Law and Fine Arts and the Institute of Education and Research (IER), issued separate statements suspending academic activities in solidarity with the plight of the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, DU students under the banner Azad Palestine marched on campus around 7:30pm yesterday and held a gayebana janaza (funeral prayer in absentia) for Gaza's victims near TSC. The group also announced it will march to the US Embassy on Tuesday.

RU authorities, in a statement, condemned the violence in Gaza and urged the international community to act urgently. "As an academic institution committed to peace, justice, and human dignity, we call for immediate and effective steps to end the barbaric violence and protect civilians," the statement reads.

RU also announced upcoming protest programmes.

Students from several universities also joined the strike, including BRAC University, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Begum Rokeya University, Daffodil International University (DIU), Green University, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Khulna University, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), and Noakhali Science and Technology University, among others.

People also expressed their solidarity on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, demanding an end to the violence, sharing updates on the situation in Gaza and calling for global pressure on Israel.

Political parties also announced solidarity programmes.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) described Israeli actions in Gaza and Rafah as "barbaric genocide". The JCD announced a separate protest programme for tomorrow.

JCD activists will stage a silent protest at 10:30am in front of educational institutions covering their mouths with black cloths. Marches from all institutions will follow at noon, culminating in protest rallies.

Sarjis Alam, chief organiser (North) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), posted on Facebook urging people to take to the streets. "As humans and as Muslims, it's not enough to condemn. Students across the country, regardless of their political affiliations, must unite against the Israeli killers," he wrote.

Meghmallar Bosu, president of a faction of Dhaka University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, posted a video urging students to join the strike by skipping classes and keeping campuses shut.

"We declare full and active support for the Global Strike called in protest against the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Nationwide demonstrations will be held tomorrow [Monday], "said Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, ameer of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, in a statement.

Hefazat-e-Islam also urged the public to join the strike tomorrow after Zuhr prayers.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka South unit of Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Ulama Mashayekh Aimma Parishad announced a protest procession in the afternoon in response to the Gaza killings.

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli strikes have killed at least 46 Palestinians in the past 24 hours alone.​

 

[Saif]

Gaza genocide protest leads to attacks on five restaurants in Cox’s Bazar

Protesters have vandalised at least five restaurants in Cox’s Bazar in a show of solidarity with the “World Stops for Gaza” campaign to condemn Israel’s brutal attacks in Palestine. On Monday, the march included “overzealous” protesters who pulled down Pepsi sig

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Gaza genocide protest leads to attacks on five restaurants in Cox’s Bazar
Published :
Apr 07, 2025 20:38
Updated :
Apr 07, 2025 20:38

Protesters have vandalised at least five restaurants in Cox’s Bazar in a show of solidarity with the “World Stops for Gaza” campaign to condemn Israel’s brutal attacks in Palestine.

On Monday, the march included “overzealous” protesters who pulled down Pepsi signs from several restaurants, accusing them of stocking Israeli products, said Cox’s Bazar Model Police Station chief Md Elias Khan, reports bdnews24.com.

The demonstration began at 12pm from Shaheed Daulat Maidan and moved through Holiday Intersection, Laboni, and Kolatoli.

The officer said protesters also hurled stones but elderly participants intervened to keep the situation under control.

Javed Iqbal, general secretary of the Cox’s Bazar Restaurant Owners’ Association, said KFC, Pizza Hut, Kacha Lanka, Panshi, and Marine Food restaurants were attacked under the pretext of carrying Israeli items.

“Several tourists were injured by shattered glass,” he added.

Javed said, “We have always stood in solidarity with Palestine. We were part of [Monday’s] protest march as well.

“But this kind of unruly behaviour is an alarming sign for tourism in Cox’s Bazar.

“We’re already boycotting Israeli products,” he added. “They could have asked us to remove the signs—why injure tourists? We demand justice.”

On-site, shattered glass was visible at Sugandha’s tourist area, where KFC is located on the top floor and Pizza Hut is below.

Following the attack, Pizza Hut was closed while KFC remained open.

Cox’s Bazar Pizza Hut manager Parvez Mia said, “People’s anger was mainly directed at KFC. They suddenly started pelting brickbats at it.”

“Since KFC is on the upper floor, the debris fell on Pizza Hut. Several glasses and equipment were damaged. We have temporarily closed the restaurant,” he added.

Kacha Lanka Restaurant manager Firoz Ahmed said, “The restaurant’s signboard had an advertisement for Seven Up.

“Under this pretext, our restaurant was vandalised.

“We too support Palestine. If they had asked us, we would have removed the signboard. Why vandalise the restaurant?”

JNU PROTESTS ISRAELI AGGRESSION IN GAZA

Jagannath University faculty and students took out a protest march protesting Israel's aggression in Gaza.

On Monday afternoon, the Jagannath University Teachers’ Association held a solidarity assembly in front of the campus Shaheed Minar.

Around the same time, students brought out a procession from the university’s main gate, marching through Ray Saheb Bazar intersection and Victoria Park before returning to campus.

At a brief rally, Riazul Islam, secretary of the Chhatra Shibir’s Jagannath University unit, said: “Al-Aqsa Mosque is our first Qibla. The Muslim community must come forward to defend it.

“Every Muslim country should remove its dependence on Israel in all sectors and strive for self-reliance.”

AKM Rakib, president of the Jagannath University chapter of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, said: “We’ve seen enough formalities and condemnation statements. No more.

“We want all Muslim nations to unite and take action now.

He added, “Instead of discussing the likes of America, Israel, and India, we need to wake up the Muslim world.

“To resist Israel, the entire Muslim world must come together."

Speaking at the teachers’ gathering, Rais Uddin, general secretary of the Teachers’ Association, said: “We pray for guidance for the US, the enabler of Israel’s crimes against humanity.

“We shall no longer buy any product from Israel. We will sever all ties with Israel and other enemies of Islam,” he added.​

 

[Saif]

JU students join global strike in solidarity with Gaza; massive protest erupts on Campus

In solidarity with the people of Gaza, students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) joined the global strike observed on April 7, 2025, by suspending academic and professional activities. The university also expressed institutional support, observing a half-day office closure from 10 AM to 12 PM on A

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

JU students join global strike in solidarity with Gaza; massive protest erupts on Campus
JU CORRESPONDENT
Published :
Apr 07, 2025 20:18
Updated :
Apr 07, 2025 20:18

In solidarity with the people of Gaza, students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) joined the global strike observed on April 7, 2025, by suspending academic and professional activities.

The university also expressed institutional support, observing a half-day office closure from 10 AM to 12 PM on April 7 and declaring all classes and examinations suspended for April 8.

As part of the protest, students gathered at the central Shaheed Minar at 4 PM on Monday. From there, they launched a protest march that moved through key points on campus before returning to the Shaheed Minar, where the demonstration concluded with a brief rally.

The event saw the participation of top university officials, including Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Kamrul Ahsan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Sohel Ahmed, and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Mahfuzur Rahman. Faculty members, administrative staff, employees, and a large number of students also joined the protest, expressing their support for the cause.

During the protest march at Jahangirnagar University, students chanted a series of slogans in unison, including “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” “Hamas fighters, take salam, take salam,” “Long live the intifada,” and “Long live the revolution,” among others.

Samia Zaman, a student of the International Relations department, shared her disillusionment, saying, "Everything I study revolves around the promotion of peace and the protection of human rights. But when I see the ongoing genocide by Israel, it feels like my whole education has been a lie. All the organisations and resources dedicated to peace seem meaningless in the face of such brutality."

Mazharul Islam, a graduate of the English department, voiced sharp criticism of Western ideologies, stating, "I want to address two things that are the root cause of Palestine's current situation. First, the West has taught us the idea that religion and politics are not the same. The second one is that they are keeping our world's Muslim leaders blind. They are keeping our Muslim organisations inactive. For that reason, our Palestinian brothers and sisters around the world are not getting justice."

He added, "We want to say this loud and clear that we Muslims are not terrorists; you are the terrorists. You can take our lives with your gun, bomb and grenades, but you can't take our Iman (belief). The more you try to break us, the stronger we will become."

Addressing the rally, Vice-Chancellor Professor Kamrul Ahsan appealed to global moral responsibility: "As human beings, we must do what humanity demands of us. I am an ordinary person — I cannot do much directly. But I want to call out those prominent human rights activists who remain silent. If the blood of Muslims does not move you, you are not true defenders of rights. Your so-called activism is merely a tool to uphold capitalism. No economy or politics can justify the genocide in Gaza."​