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Renowned poets of the country said that any aggression or war destroyed people’s freedom and displaced them from their homes.

They made the remarks while attending a programme to observe Nakba Day, the day of commemoration for the ‘Nakba’, also known as the Palestinian Catastrophe, held at DrikPath Bhaban in the capital on Wednesday.

Organised by literary platform Bangiya Sahitya Sabha, poets and cultural activists, including Kajal Shaahnewaz, Shayan, Sajjad Sharif, Shakhawat Tipu, Jahir Hasan, Shahed Kayes, Saikat Amin, Mridul Mahbub, Bayezid Bostami, Rafsan Galib, Ferdous Ara Rumi, Altaf Shahnewaz, Emran Mahfuz, Arup Rahi, Rumana Rumi, Shaibal Noor, Ektiza Ahsan and others participated in the programme, which was moderated by writer Mahbub Morshed.

Poet Shakhawat Tipu told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that any aggression or war destroyed people’s freedom and displaced them from their homes.

‘Aggression or war also endangers people’s lives and destroys civilisation. As a result of this, the biggest disaster happens to humanity,’ said Tipu, adding, ‘In this case, it will be the humanitarian duty of people to stand up for defending the rights and freedom of the oppressed people of Palestine.’

Reading poems, the poets of Bangladesh are expressing solidarity for the oppressed people of Palestine, he mentioned.

When the people of Palestine are homeless, landless, without all human facilities, this poetry reading session will awaken people’s minds against Israeli oppression, said poet Mridul Mahbub.

The poet said, ‘I strongly believe that poetry is stronger than a well-equipped army. The living words of poetry against that military aggression are nothing less than guerrilla attacks.’

Pointing out that Palestine is the oldest wound in the world, poet Bayezid Bostami said, ‘There is still war going on, blood is being shed, children are being killed. We believe that Palestine will be free one day.’

The poet mentioned that he attended the poetry reading programme in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The Nakba, Arabic for ‘catastrophe’, refers to the Palestinians who fled or were driven out of what today is Israel before and during the war surrounding its creation in 1948.