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Bangladesh–Palestine relations

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 9 min

Bangladesh-Palestine relations
Map indicating locations of Bangladesh and Palestine

Bangladesh
Palestine
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Bangladesh, AmmanEmbassy of Palestine, Dhaka
Envoy
Ambassador Nahida Sobhan[1]Chargé d'Affaires Yousef S. Y. Ramadan
March for Gaza procession organized in April 2025 at Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka to express solidarity with the Gazans in the ongoing Gaza war

Relations between the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the State of Palestine are close and cordial. Bangladesh has been a consistent supporter of the Palestinians right to be an independent state. Bangladesh has a complete ban on trade (direct and indirect) with the State of Israel and has no diplomatic relations with it.[2] Bangladesh supports the establishment of a Palestinian state drawn on the 1967 boundary with East Jerusalem as the capital.[3] Palestine is represented in Bangladesh by the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Dhaka.[4] Yousef S. Y. Ramadan is the Palestinian Chargé d'Affaires in Dhaka.[5]

History

[edit]

Prior to Bangladeshi independence, many Bengalis of East Pakistan expressed their intention to fight in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[citation needed] The relationship between Bangladesh and Palestine, particularly the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), can be traced back to the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971. Bangladesh rejected recognition from Israel.[2][6] At first, most Arab states were hesitant to recognize the newly established state of Bangladesh, but relations warmed in 1973, when Bangladesh supported the Palestinians' against Israel during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 including sending a medical team and relief supplies for Palestinians.[7][8]

The first high-level meeting between the two countries took place in 1974, when Yasser Arafat met Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Lahore at the second summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).[9] A relationship with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was established around that time period, in which Bangladesh opened a PLO office in the capital, Dhaka, and PLO officials were frequent guests at events hosted by the Bangladeshi political and diplomatic corps.[7]

In 1980, a postal stamp was created depicting a Palestinian freedom fighter, the Al-Aqsa mosque in the background shrouded by barbed wire, and text celebrating Palestinian fighters as "valiant" in English and Arabic.[7]

Yasser Arafat visited Bangladesh several times between the 1970s and 1990s, including accompanying Nelson Mandela and Süleyman Demirel for Bangladesh's 25 year anniversary of independence. He usually received a warm welcome from Bangladeshi media, political circles and the general public. According to a September 1988 US Library of Congress report, the Bangladeshi government reported in 1987, that 8,000 Bangladeshi youths had volunteered to fight for the PLO following this visit.[citation needed]

476 Bangladeshis were captured and tortured by Israeli forces in prison camps in the 1982 Lebanon War. Bengalis reportedly shot down 29 Israeli aircraft and inflicted dozens of casualties in the war. Some Bangladeshis were reported missing and Kamal Mustafa Ali, who was a Bangladeshi was martyred during a battle in 1982.[10]

Protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza war, Kishoreganj, Bangladesh
Palestinian solidarity symbol watermelon in 2025 Ananda Shobhajatra, Dhaka, Bangladesh

During the ongoing Gaza war and Gaza Genocide, Bangladesh showed support for Palestine,[11][12][13] and backed South Africa's genocide case against Israel. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the Israeli bombardments on Gaza Strip for "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians and urged the international community to take immediate and effective step to implement an unconditional ceasefire, protect the lives of civilians, and deliver humanitarian aid; it also affirmed its support for Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the basis of the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.[14][15] Bangladesh also called for a ceasefire several times.[16][17][18] Bangladesh government sent relief aid including food and medical supplies to Gaza in Ramadan.[19][20] Conversely, Palestine Authority also sent relief aid to Bangladesh during the August 2024 Bangladesh floods.[21][22]

Apart from the government, various political parties, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, supported a ceasefire and demonstrated expressing support for Palestine in Gaza war.[23] and On 12 April 2025, Bangladesh organized March for Gaza procession in Suhrawardy Udyan, which attracted around a million participants.[24] It was the largest ever pro-Palestine demonstration in Bangladesh's history.[25]

Mutual cooperation

[edit]

Bangladesh offers scholarship for Palestinian students in medical colleges in Bangladesh and Palestinian factions officers are provided training in Bangladeshi military facilities.[26] Since the 1980s under International Military Education and Training (IMET), there has been development of military ties between the PLO and Bangladesh, with PLO soldiers attending one-year courses at the Bangladesh Military Academy in Chittagong.[citation needed]

In December 2016, Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding with Palestine on trade and energy cooperation.[27] Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Dhaka in February 2017.[28]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Brief Curriculum Vitae of Nahida Sobhan, Ambassador of Bangladesh
  2. ^ a b "Israel's infatuation with Bangladesh's recognition". The Business Standard. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Palestine President Abbas likely to arrive in Feb". The Financial Express. Dhaka. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  4. ^ "President Abbas likely to arrive in Dhaka in Feb". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  5. ^ "Ties with Israel would be 'political suicide' for BNP, says Palestine envoy". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  6. ^ "From the Archives (April 20, 1971): Bangla Desh rejects Israeli offer". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b c "Palestine Embassy in Bangladesh". Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  8. ^ Chowdhury, Umran (14 July 2023). "Bangladesh's Palestine Policy". Dhaka Tribune. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  9. ^ Karim, M. M. Rezaul. "Currents and Crosscurrents". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  10. ^ Siddiqui, Kamran (1 November 2024). "Meet the Bangladeshi volunteers who went to war for Palestine". The Business Standard. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  11. ^ "Activists in Bangladesh march through universities to demand end to Israel-Hamas war". AP News. 6 May 2024. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  12. ^ "An open letter on Gaza from Bangladesh". The Daily Star. 25 May 2024. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Bangladesh demands immediate end to Israeli brutalities in Palestine". Dhaka Tribune. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Bangladesh backs South Africa's genocide claims against Israel". The Times of Israel. 15 January 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  15. ^ "গাজা গণহত্যার তীব্র নিন্দা বাংলাদেশের" [Bangladesh's strong condemnation on Gaza genocide]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 7 April 2025.
  16. ^ "Yunus calls for immediate ceasefire to protect Palestinians". Prothom Alo. Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Bangladesh endorses US initiative on Gaza". Dhaka Tribune. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Bangladesh urges immediate ceasefire of armed conflicts between Palestine-Israel". The Business Standard. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  19. ^ "Bangladesh sends relief to Gaza during Ramadan". Dhaka Tribune. 13 May 2024. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  20. ^ "80 countries, including Bangladesh, send Ramadan aid to Gaza". bdnews24.com. 13 March 2024. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Palestine sends aid for Bangladesh flood victims". Somoy Television. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  22. ^ "Palestinian envoy sends relief aid to flood victims". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 31 August 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  23. ^ Sakib, SM Najmus (9 October 2023). "Pro-Palestine demonstration held in Dhaka as Bangladesh calls for cease-fire". Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2024. A rally by Bangladesh's major religio-political party Jamaat-e-Islami on Monday condemned the Israeli attacks on Gaza and urged the Muslim world to ensure the safety of Palestinians and their rights. The party brought out the procession in the capital Dhaka where the party leaders condemned Israel for suspending power and water supply to Gaza. The rally participants also criticized the UN for its silence on the rights of Palestinians, not taking measures, and not recognizing the 75-year Palestinians' struggle for building a peaceful sovereign state.
  24. ^ "Some 100,000 rally against Israel in Bangladesh's capital". AP News. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  25. ^ "ঢাকায় উত্তাল জনসমুদ্র ফিলিস্তিনের প্রতি সংহতি". Kaler Kantho. 13 April 2025.
  26. ^ "Bangladesh will expand cooperation with Palestine: FM". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  27. ^ "Bangladesh, Palestine ink MoU on trade, power generation". The Daily Star. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  28. ^ "Palestinian President Abbas in city". Dhaka Tribune. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
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