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

[Saif]

Hamas agrees to Gaza ceasefire proposal, its chief says

Hamas has agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal it received two days ago from mediators Egypt and Qatar, the Palestinian militant group's chief said on Saturday. "Two days ago, we received a proposal from the mediators in Egypt and Qatar. We dealt with it positively and accepted it," Khalil al-Hayya

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Hamas agrees to Gaza ceasefire proposal, its chief says
REUTERS
Published :
Mar 30, 2025 11:37
Updated :
Mar 30, 2025 11:58

Hamas officials, Khalil Al-Hayya and Osama Hamdan, attend a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon on November 21, 2023 — Reuters/File

Hamas has agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal it received two days ago from mediators Egypt and Qatar, the Palestinian militant group's chief said on Saturday.

"Two days ago, we received a proposal from the mediators in Egypt and Qatar. We dealt with it positively and accepted it," Khalil al-Hayya said in a televised speech.

"We hope that the (Israeli) occupation will not undermine (it)," said Hayya, who leads the Hamas negotiating team in indirect talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza that erupted in October 2023.

Security sources told Reuters on Thursday that Egypt had received positive indications from Israel over a new ceasefire proposal that would include a transitional phase.

The proposal suggests Hamas release five of the Israeli hostages it is holding each week, the sources said.

The Israeli prime minister's office said it had held a series of consultations according to the proposal that was received from the mediators, and that Israel had conveyed to the mediators a counter-proposal in full coordination with the United States.

Reuters asked the prime minister's office if it had also agreed to the ceasefire proposal but it did not immediately respond.

PHASED CEASEFIRE

The first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into force on Jan. 19 after 15 months of war and involved a halt to fighting, the release of some of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners.

Phase two of the three-phase deal is intended to focus on agreements on the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Hamas says any proposals must allow the launch of the second phase, while Israel has offered to expand the first 42-day phase.

In response to calls on Hamas to disarm by Israel and the United States, Hayya said the group's arsenal was a red line and that it would not disarm as long as the "Israeli" occupation exists.

Israel and the US say Hamas must not have a role in post-war Gaza arrangements.

Israeli military strikes on Gaza continued on Saturday, killing at least 20 Palestinians across the enclave, health authorities said.

The Israeli military said it had begun "ground activity" in the Jneina neighbourhood of the Rafah area to expand what it described as the security zone in southern Gaza.

On March 18, Israel resumed bombing and ground operations in Gaza, which it said were intended to increase pressure on Hamas to free hostages.

It has since issued evacuation orders to tens of thousands of residents in several areas in the northern and southern Gaza Strip, citing rocket firing into Israeli territories.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli offensive in Gaza, Palestinian officials say.

Israel began its offensive after thousands of Hamas-led gunmen attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.​

 

[Saif]

Netanyahu vows to pressure Hamas after ceasefire proposal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated a demand on Sunday for Hamas to disarm and for its leaders to leave Gaza as he promised to step up pressure on the group while continuing efforts to return hostages..He said Israel would work to implement US President Donald Trump’s “volun

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Netanyahu vows to pressure Hamas after ceasefire proposal

A Palestinian woman visits the grave of her relative at a cemetery, on the first day of Eid-ul-Fitr that marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on March 30, 2025. Photo: Reuters/Mahmoud Issa.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated a demand on Sunday for Hamas to disarm and for its leaders to leave Gaza as he promised to step up pressure on the group while continuing efforts to return hostages.

He said Israel would work to implement US President Donald Trump's "voluntary emigration plan" for Gaza and said his cabinet had agreed to keep pressuring Hamas, which says it has agreed to a ceasefire proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Netanyahu's comments were a recipe for "endless escalation" in the region.

Netanyahu rejected assertions that Israel, which has resumed its bombardment of Gaza after a two-month truce and sent troops back into the enclave, was not negotiating, saying "we are conducting it under fire, and therefore it is also effective".

"We see that there are suddenly cracks," he said in a video statement issued on Sunday.

On Saturday, Khalil al-Hayya, the Hamas leader in Gaza, said the group had agreed to a proposal that security sources said included the release of five Israeli hostages each week. But he said laying down its arms as Israel has demanded was a "red line" the group would not cross.

On Sunday, the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, health authorities in Gaza said at least 24 people, including several children, had been killed in Israeli strikes. Nine were killed in a single tent in the southern city of Khan Younis, they said.

Later on Sunday, the Palestinian Red Crescent Service said it had finally been able to get access to search for rescue teams that had come under Israeli fire during a rescue mission in western Rafah, a week after the attack.

It said it had recovered 13 bodies from the scene, seven of them were Palestinian Red Crescent members, another five were from the Gaza Civil Emergency Service, and another was a United Nations worker. There was no immediate Israeli comment.

Since Israel resumed its attacks in Gaza on March 18, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate areas in northern Gaza where they had returned following the ceasefire agreement in January.

Netanyahu said Israel was demanding that Hamas lay down its arms and said its leaders would be allowed to leave Gaza. He gave no detail on how long Israeli troops would remain in the enclave but repeated that Hamas's military and government capacities must be crushed.

"We will ensure general security in the Gaza Strip and enable the implementation of the Trump plan, the voluntary emigration plan," he said. "That is the plan, we do not hide it, we are ready to discuss it at any time."

Trump originally proposed moving the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza to countries including Egypt and Jordan and developing the Gaza Strip as a US-owned resort. However, no country has agreed to take in the population and Israel has since said that any departures by Palestinians would be voluntary.

Eid In Gaza

Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after a devastating Hamas attack on Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023 that killed some 1,200 people, according to an Israeli tally, and saw 251 abducted as hostages.

The Israeli campaign has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities, and devastated much of the coastal enclave, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in tents and makeshift shelters.

Sunday's strikes took place as Palestinians celebrated the Eid holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

"We are here to celebrate the rituals of God amid the destruction and the sounds of cannons," said Minnatallah Al-Far, in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, where most of the area has been laid waste by Israeli bombardment.

"In Gaza, our situation is very difficult. Other people are celebrating these rituals in peace and safety, but we do them amid destruction and bombardment," she said.

In Israel, Netanyahu has faced a wave of demonstrations since the military resumed its action in Gaza, with families and supporters of the remaining 59 hostages joining forces with protesters angry at government actions they see as undermining Israeli democracy.

On Sunday, he rejected what he described as "empty claims and slogans" and said military pressure was the only thing that had returned hostages.​

 

[Saif]

Israel's Netanyahu to visit Hungary, defying ICC arrest warrant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Hungary this week, his office said on Sunday, defying an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court issued over allegations of war crimes in Gaza. During the visit, due to begin on Wednesday and run until Sunday, Netanyahu will mee

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Israel's Netanyahu to visit Hungary, defying ICC arrest warrant
REUTERS
Published :
Mar 30, 2025 19:34
Updated :
Mar 30, 2025 19:34

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on, as he meets with members of the U.S. Congress at the Capitol in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2025. Photo : REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/Files

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Hungary this week, his office said on Sunday, defying an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court issued over allegations of war crimes in Gaza.

During the visit, due to begin on Wednesday and run until Sunday, Netanyahu will meet his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, who invited him in November, soon after the ICC issued the arrest warrant.

Orban said at the time that the warrant would "not be observed".

All European Union member states, including Hungary, are members of the ICC, which means they are required to enforce its warrants. Orban, a right-wing nationalist, has often been at odds with the EU over democratic standards and human rights in Hungary.

There was no immediate comment by Hungary about this week's visit.

It will be Netanyahu's second trip abroad since the ICC announced the warrants, following a visit to Washington in February to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.

Israel has denounced the warrants against Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, describing the allegations as "false and absurd". The ICC has also issued a warrant for the arrest of a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri.​

 

[Saif]

Pick up arms to resist Trump’s Gaza relocation plan: Hamas

Hamas calls on 'anyone who can bear arms' worldwide to fight Trump's Gaza plan

www.thedailystar.net

Pick up arms to resist Trump’s Gaza relocation plan: Hamas
Hamas calls on 'anyone who can bear arms' worldwide to fight Trump's Gaza plan

Photo: AFP Palestinians attend Eid al-Fitr prayers, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in the Nuseirat camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip yesterday.

A senior Hamas official today called on supporters worldwide to pick up weapons and fight US President Donald Trump's plan to relocate more than two million Gazans to neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Jordan.

"In the face of this sinister plan -- one that combines massacres with starvation -- anyone who can bear arms, anywhere in the world, must take action," Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement.

"Do not withhold an explosive, a bullet, a knife, or a stone. Let everyone break their silence."

Abu Zuhri's call comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to let Hamas leaders leave Gaza but demanded that the Palestinian group disarm in the final stages of the war in Gaza.

Hamas has expressed a willingness to relinquish Gaza's administration, but has warned its weapons are a "red line".

Netanyahu said Israel was working towards a plan proposed by Trump to displace Gazans to other countries.

Netanyahu said that after the war, Israel would ensure overall security in Gaza and "enable the implementation of the Trump plan" -- which had initially called for the mass displacement of all 2.4 million people living in the Palestinian territory -- calling it a "voluntary migration plan".

Days after taking office in January, Trump floated a proposal to move Gaza's population out of the war-battered territory, suggesting that Egypt or Jordan could take them in.

Both countries, along with other Arab allies, governments around the world and the Palestinians themselves, have flatly rejected the notion.

Trump later appeared to backtrack on the proposal, saying he was "not forcing" his widely condemned plan.

"Nobody's expelling any Palestinians," Trump said at the White House in mid-March, remarks welcomed by Egypt, Jordan and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Arab nations have since come up with an alternative plan for rebuilding the Gaza Strip without relocating its people, which would take place under the future administration of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.

For Palestinians, any attempts to force them out of Gaza would evoke dark memories of what the Arab world calls the "Nakba", or catastrophe -- the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel's creation in 1948.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz in February said that a special agency would be established for the "voluntary departure" of Gazans.

A defence ministry statement said an initial plan included "extensive assistance that will allow any Gaza resident who wishes to emigrate voluntarily to a third country to receive a comprehensive package, which includes, among other things, special departure arrangements via sea, air, and land".

Israel resumed intense bombing of Gaza on March 18 and then launched a new ground offensive, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire in the war with Hamas.

Since the fighting restarted, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says that at least 1,001 people have been killed.

Israel's military campaign has killed at least 50,357 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to the territory's health ministry.​

 

[Saif]

Israel seizing more of Gaza to free hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said that the military was “dissecting” the Gaza Strip and seizing territory to pressure Hamas into freeing hostages still held in the territory.

www.thedailystar.net

Israel seizing more of Gaza to free hostages
Says its PM; 34 more Palestinians killed in strikes

Photo: AFP Palestinians gather at a makeshift market set up in the midst of a war-devastated neighbourhood in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday. At least 19 people, including nine children, were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a UN clinic in the Jabalia camp yesterday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said that the military was "dissecting" the Gaza Strip and seizing territory to pressure Hamas into freeing hostages still held in the territory.

It came as rescuers said 34 people were killed in continued Israeli strikes on the territory, including on a UN building.

The military is "dissecting the (Gaza) Strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that (Hamas) will return our hostages", Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that Israel "is seizing territory, striking terrorists, and destroying infrastructure".

He added that the army is "taking control of the 'Morag Axis'", a strip of land that is expected to run between the southern governorates of Khan Yunis and Rafah.

The name of the axis refers to a former Israeli settlement that was evacuated when Israel unilaterally pulled out of Gaza in 2005.

Defence Minister Israel Katz earlier said Israel would bolster its military presence in the Palestinian territory to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure".

The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.

Gaza's civil defence agency said an Israeli strike that targeted a UN building "housing a medical clinic in Jabalia refugee camp" killed at least 19 people, including nine children.

The Israeli army said it struck Hamas members "inside a command and control centre" in north Gaza's Jabalia. It was separately confirmed by AFP that the building housed a UN clinic.

The Palestinian foreign ministry, based in the occupied West Bank, condemned the "massacre" at the clinic run by UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, and called for "serious international pressure" to halt Israel's widening offensive.

Israel has, on several occasions, conducted strikes on UNRWA buildings housing displaced people in Gaza, where fighting has raged for most of the past 18 months.

The Israeli military accuses Hamas of hiding in school buildings where thousands of Gazans have sought shelter -- a charge denied by the Palestinian group.

Israel also carried out deadly air strikes in southern and central Gaza yesterday. The civil defence said dawn strikes killed at least 13 people in Khan Yunis and two in Nuseirat refugee camp.

In February, Katz announced plans for an agency to oversee the "voluntary departure" of Palestinians from the territory.

That followed Israel's backing of a proposal from US President Donald Trump for the United States to take over the territory after relocating its 2.4 million Palestinian inhabitants. The proposal outraged Gazans and drew widespread international condemnation.

Israel resumed intense bombing of Gaza on March 18 before launching a new ground offensive, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire.

At least 1,066 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel resumed military operations, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said. That took the overall toll to at least 50,423 since the Israel began its offensive on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

Hunger loomed in Gaza City as bakeries closed due to worsening shortages of flour and sugar since Israel blocked the entry of supplies from March 2.

"I've been going from bakery to bakery all morning, but none of them are operating, they're all closed," Amina al-Sayed told AFP.

On Sunday, Netanyahu offered to let Hamas leaders leave Gaza but demanded the group abandon its arms.

Hamas has signalled willingness to cede power in Gaza but calls disarmament a "red line".

Egypt, Qatar and the United States are attempting to broker a new ceasefire and secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.

A senior Hamas official said Saturday the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal, while Netanyahu's office said Israel had submitted a counteroffer. The details remain undisclosed.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound yesterday.

The visit drew condemnation not only from Hamas but also from neighbouring Jordan, which acts as custodian of the holy site, as well as Qatar and other governments.

Ben Gvir has repeatedly challenged the longstanding convention that Jews may visit but not pray at the compound, stoking Palestinian fears about Israeli intentions.​

 

[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."​

 

[Saif]

KFC outlet vandalised in Sylhet over Coca-Cola sales

Protesters in Sylhet have vandalised a KFC outlet, accusing it of selling Coca-Cola products during a rally condemning Israeli aggression in Gaza and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people. A nearby outlet of international footwear brand Bata was also attacked and heavily damaged during

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

KFC outlet vandalised in Sylhet over Coca-Cola sales
Published :
Apr 07, 2025 17:55
Updated :
Apr 07, 2025 17:55

Protesters in Sylhet have vandalised a KFC outlet, accusing it of selling Coca-Cola products during a rally condemning Israeli aggression in Gaza and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

A nearby outlet of international footwear brand Bata was also attacked and heavily damaged during the protests on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.

The incidents took place around 3pm at the KFC branch in Mirabazar and the Bata showroom in Dargah Gate, according to Md Ziaul Haque, chief of Sylhet Metropolitan Police’s Kotwali Police Station.

“Police arrived at the scene upon receiving the news, and efforts are ongoing to bring the situation under control,” he said.

Witnesses said that a protest march was passing by the KFC outlet when several individuals entered the restaurant and began smashing items inside. They threw soft drinks onto the street and shattered glass displays with sticks. Following the attack, the KFC branch was closed.

Members of the same procession also entered the nearby Bata showroom, smashing glass panels. Staff members reportedly fled the premises in fear during the attack.

Protesters claimed that there was no place in Bangladesh for businesses linked to Israel, accusing the KFC outlet of selling Israeli soft drink brands. “This will not be tolerated,” one of them said.

“The ongoing assault is not just against one region -- it’s an attack on the entire Muslim world. World leaders must act immediately to end this brutality.”

PROTESTS RESONATE ACROSS CITY

Various organisations staged protest marches across Sylhet city on Monday, condemning the indiscriminate attacks by Israeli forces in Gaza.

Residents from different neighborhoods joined the rallies, chanting slogans and participating in protest programmes.

The protests stretched from the Central Shaheed Minar in Chowhatta to Court Point in Bandar Bazar under banners of multiple organisations. Educational institutions across Sylhet also joined in, observing a “No work, no school” campaign in solidarity with the global movement.

At 11am, students from Sylhet Nursing College held a protest march near the Central Shaheed Minar, while employees of several telecom companies formed a human chain at the same time.

Speaking to reporters during the protest, Ibrahim, a nursing student from Parkview Medical College, said: “As a Muslim-majority country, we must raise our voice against Israel’s barbaric attacks. Israel is a cursed nation that continues to assault innocent Muslims.”

After Zuhr prayer, Bangladesh Anjuman-e-Talamiya Islamia’s Sylhet district and metropolitan branches led a massive protest in Bandar Bazar. Students, local residents, various Islamic groups, and social organisations also took part in demonstrations throughout the city.​

 

[Saif]

Security beefed up in diplomatic zone, US embassy

Security has been beefed in the diplomatic zone of the city following the demonstration near the US Embassy in Dhaka today, Monday, in protest of the Israeli genocide in Gaza and demanding independence of Palestine.

en.prothomalo.com

Security beefed up in diplomatic zone, US embassy
Staff CorrespondentDhaka
Published: 07 Apr 2025, 19: 57

Members of Bangladesh Army, BGB, APBn, SB, CID, police and intelligence units have been deployed in the area Prothom Alo.

Security has been beefed in the diplomatic zone of the city following the demonstration near the US Embassy in Dhaka today, Monday, in protest of the Israeli genocide in Gaza and demanding independence of Palestine.

Members of Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Special Branch (SB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), police and intelligence units have been deployed in the area.

Security has been tightened in the entire diplomatic zone in the capital’s Gulshan.

Students from United International University (UIU) and other private universities in the area had been protesting in front of the US embassy since 10:00 am. Even common people joined the demonstration.

Visiting the area, the protesting students were seen demonstrating opposite to the embassy. They divided in small groups and chanted different slogans against the Israeli aggression in Gaza. Members of the army, police and APBn were standing right before them behind the barricade. BGB members took position in front of the barricade.

The protesters left the road after 2:00 pm.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) assistant commissioner (AC) of Gulshan Zone confirmed this correspondent that the additional security measures had been taken.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said people of Bangladesh staged demonstrations against the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Security has been beefed up in the diplomatic zone due to this. Apart from police, members of the army, BGB, CID, SB, intelligence and the diplomatic zone security officials are stationed here.

Besides, the law enforcement agencies have stopped vehicular movement along the road adjacent to the embassy. They have also limited public movement in the area, the police officials on duty near the embassy confirmed.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh condemns Israeli killings, human rights violations in Gaza

The government of Bangladesh on Monday expressed its strongest condemnation of the Israeli occupying forces’ continued mass killing

en.prothomalo.com

Bangladesh condemns Israeli killings, human rights violations in Gaza
UNB Dhaka
Published: 07 Apr 2025, 17: 16

Logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The government of Bangladesh on Monday expressed its strongest condemnation of the Israeli occupying forces’ continued mass killing and gross violations of human rights in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s ongoing military attacks since last month's unilateral breach of the ceasefire have killed scores of Palestinians, mostly women and children as well as blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza leading to a human catastrophe.

"Evidently, Israel has shown no regard to repeated international appeals and has instead engaged in an increasingly intense killing spree," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bangladesh strongly denounced the Israeli occupying forces’ indiscriminate aerial bombardment of densely populated civilian areas in Gaza with the overt intention of carrying out ethnic cleansing against the defenseless Palestinian population.

The government of Bangladesh demanded that Israel immediately cease all military operations, exercise maximum restraint and abide by its duty under international humanitarian law.

Bangladesh appealed to the international community, in particular the United Nations, to discharge its moral and legal responsibilities by adopting immediate and effective steps towards the implementation of an unconditional ceasefire and the cessation of all hostilities for the protection of lives of civilians and unobstructed passage of humanitarian relief to besieged Gaza.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the strong support of the government of Bangladesh for all the just rights of the Palestinian people, their right to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The government of Bangladesh reiterated the necessity of returning to the negotiation platform for permanent peace in the Middle East, which is vital for both regional and global stability.

Bangladesh also appealed to all concerned to commit themselves to the path of diplomacy and dialogue to put an end to the violence and sufferings afflicting the Palestinian people.

Bangladesh said it remains steadfast and unequivocal in its call on the global community to work towards a two state solution of the Palestinian issue based on international law, United Nations resolutions, and the Palestinian aspirations for peace, dignity and justice.​

 

[Saif]

Israel’s brutality in Gaza: Students across country boycott classes, exams

Students of different educational institutions of Bangladesh are observing a strike today, Monday, in protest of Israel's brutality in Gaza, Palestine

en.prothomalo.com

Israel’s brutality in Gaza: Students across country boycott classes, exams
Special Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 07 Apr 2025, 11: 57

Students of Badrunnesa Girls College bring out a rally protesting Israel's brutality in Gaza, Palestine. The picture is taken from Dhaka University area on 7 April, 2025Suvra Kanti Das

Students of different educational institutions of Bangladesh are observing a strike today, Monday, in protest of Israel's brutality in Gaza, Palestine.

The strike is being observed especially in universities.

Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University are among different institutions that officially suspended today’s classes and examinations.

In response to a global strike titled, “The world stops for Gaza: no work no school until the genocide stops” on 7 April, 2025, Dhaka University students have announced that they will be participating in the movement in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Meanwhile, the DU authorities issued a notice expressing solidarity with the global strike and announced the suspension of academic activities today and closure of offices from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.

Jahangirnagar University in a notice announced work abstention in all offices from 10:00am to 12 noon today. All academic activities have aslo been suspended.

Rajshahi University authorities called a solidarity rally at Paris Road on the campus from 11:00am to 12 noon. University teachers, students and officials have been asked to join the programme.

Students of Jagannath University also called a protest rally, alongside boycotting all classes and examinations scheduled for today, under the banner of ‘General students of Jagannath University’.

Jagannath University Teachers Association also expressed solidarity with the student’s and announced ‘no work’ for today, confirmed the association’s General Secretary Raid Uddin.

The association will hold a solidarity rally on the campus at 12 noon.

Students of different schools and colleges have also been closed today without making any official announcement.​

 

[Saif]

Israel kills Hezbollah commander

An Israeli strike Monday on southern Lebanon killed one person, according to the health ministry, with Israel’s military saying it had ‘eliminated’ a Hezbollah commander in the latest raid despite a truce...

www.newagebd.net

Israel kills Hezbollah commander
Agence France-Presse . Beirut 07 April, 2025, 22:20

United Nations peacekeepers drive in vehicles of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon past destroyed buildings while patrolling in Lebanon’s southern village of Kfar Kila close to the border with Israel on Sunday. | AFP photo

An Israeli strike Monday on southern Lebanon killed one person, according to the health ministry, with Israel’s military saying it had ‘eliminated’ a Hezbollah commander in the latest raid despite a truce.

Israel has continued to launch strikes on Lebanon since the November 27 ceasefire that largely halted more than a year of hostilities with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group including two months of all-out war.

The Lebanese health ministry said in a statement that an ‘Israeli enemy’ strike on Monday on the town of Taybeh, near the border, ‘led to the death of one citizen’.

The Israeli military said its forces ‘eliminated... Hezbollah’s artillery commander in the Taybeh area’, alleging that during the war, he had ‘directed and carried out numerous projectile attacks toward the Upper Galilee area’ in northern Israel.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency said the strike hit ‘in front of a motorcycle repair shop’ in the town, in south Lebanon’s Marjayoun district.

On Sunday, Lebanon said an Israeli strike killed two people in south Lebanon’s Zibqin, as the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah operatives in the area.

The NNA also reported Israeli strikes on prefabricated homes in south Lebanon’s Naqura area on Sunday. Such structures have usually been set up for returning residents whose homes were destroyed in the conflict.

Israeli strikes last week also targeted other south Lebanon locations and even Hezbollah’s south Beirut bastion.

The truce accord was based on a UN Security Council resolution that says Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon, and calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups.

On the weekend, visiting US deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus discussed the situation in south Lebanon and economic reforms with senior Lebanese officials, with talks also addressing Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Hezbollah was left severely weakened in the latest war.

In an interview with Lebanese television channel LBCI broadcast on Sunday, Ortagus said Washington continued to press Lebanon’s government ‘to fully fulfil the cessation of hostilities, and that includes disarming Hezbollah and all militias’, adding it should happen ‘as soon as possible’.

Lebanese president Joseph Aoun on Monday said the issue needed to be resolved ‘through communication and dialogue because in the end, Hezbollah is a Lebanese component’.

Authorities would soon begin work on drafting a ‘national security strategy’, he added.

Under the truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw fighters from south of Lebanon’s Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure there.

Israel was to withdraw all its forces from south Lebanon but continues to hold five positions that it deems ‘strategic’.

Aoun urged Washington to pressure Israel to withdraw from the five border points, saying the on-going troop presence ‘complicates the situation’.​