The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Thursday accused the leaders of the Muslim world of failing to take necessary steps to stop the ongoing Israeli massacre in Gaza.
At a rally held at the BNP鈥檚 central office in Nayapaltan, Dhaka, party leaders called upon all democratic nations and world leaders to take effective measures to protect the Palestinian people from the continued Israeli aggression.
The rally was held prior to a protest procession organised in condemnation of the Israeli aggression and genocide in Gaza and Rafah, and in solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine.
The event was jointly organised by the BNP鈥檚 Dhaka Metropolitan North and South units.
BNP leaders reiterated their support for the Palestinian cause and demanded immediate international interventions to halt the aggression.
BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said the ongoing massacre in Palestine is part of a wider conspiracy to wipe out Muslims across the world, not merely a localised conflict.
He said Israel would not have dared to carry out such massacres had the Muslim world demonstrated unity and strength.
He also invoked the legacy of former Bangladesh president Ziaur Rahman, saying, 鈥楧uring the Iran-Iraq war, Ziaur Rahman played a significant role. If he were alive today, he would have taken effective initiatives to unite Muslim leaders in support of Palestine.鈥�
鈥楳uslims are being persecuted in our neighbouring country as well, yet there is no effective protest from our side. We must raise our voice against oppression wherever Muslims are being targeted,鈥� he said.
Salahuddin Ahmed, another standing committee member of the party, alleged that decades of genocide against the Palestinian people have been facilitated by an 鈥楢nglo-American conspiracy鈥�, with no effective international response to halt the violence.
He criticised Israel鈥檚 repeated rejection of United Nations resolutions in support of Palestine, saying that 鈥榗ertain superpowers continue to veto these proposals,鈥� undermining global efforts to secure justice for the Palestinians.
鈥榃hile many Muslim leaders have voiced protests against the aggression of Israel in Palestine, they have failed to take meaningful actions. Those who claim to lead the Muslim world can no longer do so if they remain silent and inactive in the face of such aggression.鈥� Salahuddin said.
He said the BNP has a long history of supporting the Palestinian cause, whereas the Awami League has moved to recognise Israel by lifting the ban on travel to that country in Bangladeshi passports.
Salahuddin said that the BNP would continue to stand by the people of Palestine until an independent Palestinian state is established.
Another BNP standing committee member, Nazrul Islam Khan, called for strong international initiatives to resist the Israeli forces.
Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, another BNP standing committee member, condemned the ongoing violence in Palestine as a crime against humanity.
He lambasted the silence of intellectuals in Bangladesh and called the United Nations a 鈥榩uppet鈥� for its inaction.
Leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliated organisations began gathering in front of the party central office at Nayapaltan in the capital Dhaka from 2:00pm, carrying anti-Israel banners, festoons, and placards.
A large number of people joined the protest procession, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemning Israel鈥檚 military actions in Gaza and Rafah.
The protest procession began from the front of the central office at around 4:45pm.
It paraded through Kakrail, Malibagh, Mouchak, and the Moghbazar intersection before concluding at the Karwan Bazar intersection.