TENS of thousands of students, professionals and ordinary people marched down the roads across Bangladesh on April 7 in response to a global call for a strike demanding an end to Israeli genocide in Gaza and, also, condemning US complicity amidst an expanding offensive in the Palestinian city. Educational institutions, chiefly universities, have heeded the global call by keeping off academic and professional activities, urging the government to pursue foreign policies supporting the Palestinian struggle. Dhaka has condemned the continued mass killing and gross rights violation in the Gaza Strip by Israel鈥檚 forces. The Zionist state of Israel began the attacks at hand on October 7, 2023. Official Palestinian figures have updated the death toll to more than 61,700, saying that thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead. Whilst Israel鈥檚 war against Palestinians, already having been pushed to the limits in the course of more than 57 years, has so far been horrific, the global protests have been justified.
But what appears unpalatable about the protests in Bangladesh is the vandalism of business establishments selling products such as Bata shoes, KFC food and Coca-Cola drinks in several cities such as Bogura, Chattogram, Cox鈥檚 Bazar, Gazipur, Khulna and Sylhet. During the march, some protesters have pelted a KFC outlet at Nasirabad and a Domino鈥檚 Pizza outlet in the GEC crossing with stones in Chattogram. Protesters have vandalised Hotel Zaman and a Pizza Hut outlet for putting up a Coca-Cola sign at Tiger Pass and a business establishment named Puma at Lalkhan Bazar. Protesters have also vandalised a KFC outlet at Zindabazar and two Bata showrooms at Ambarkhana and Zindabazar in Sylhet. Some protesters have damaged some restaurants and shops, including KFC outlets, during a rally in Cox鈥檚 Bazar. Police deployment was reinforced to bring the situation under control. The inspector general of police later that night instructed the police personnel to arrest the people who vandalised the shops and business establishments. The police until the evening on April 8 have also arrested about 50 people in connection with the vandalism. The vandalism that has gone along with the global call for Gaza strike in Bangladesh has deplorable bearings in that it has demeaned the protests for a just cause. It has also been unfortunate, especially at a time when the Investment Development Authority hosts a summit, with local and foreign investors, to showcase Bangladesh as an investment destination.
The police response post the mayhem appears delayed as the law enforcers could have made preparations to stop the vandalism before the marches began. Whilst this remains a failure, the government should now be stringent about the crime of vandalism.