By Erlina Premadani

It began when thousands of members of an Islamist group rallied in Bangladesh’s capital on Friday. They protested against recent violence in Sweden involving an anti-muslim far-right group and created the Al Aqsa clash.

The protesters came from the conservative Islami Andolon Bangladesh who supported the Islamic laws in the majority of Muslim secular countries. They carried banners, placards, and even the Bangladesh and Palestine flags during the protest.

On Friday, Israeli Police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, after the Palestinian youths threw stones at the gate. After that, the leader of the Islami Andolon Bangladesh urged the Bangladeshi government of Prime minister Sheikh Hasina to denounce such acts. He demanded the Organization of Islamic Cooperation raise its voice upon the tragedy.

On Monday, Bangladesh condemns the violence against innocent worshippers and civilians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque occupied by the Israeli forces in the early morning of 15 April 2022. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern over the violations of basic civil norms, international human rights laws, and international accords that have been invoked by the Israeli forces.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs talks came from the belief of Bangladesh toward religious freedom. It is a fundamental human right that must be upheld and the right of practicing religious rituals should be ensured. Bangladesh urges the international community to take sustained measures to end any kind of attacks against worshippers. They also provide medical treatment to the wounded civilians and struggle to end the heinous action in the territories.

It was analyzed that Israel seized the opportunity during the global pandemic to raise violence in Palestine. The oppressive movement toward the Palestinians was arranged to divert attention from its internal crisis. The attack’s motives came not only from the external factor that Israel against Palestinians. But there was also an internal crisis in Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to secure a victory. It is probably a part of diverting people’s attention to Israel’s domestic crisis.

It shows that Bangladesh firmly supports the inalienable rights of the Palestine people and is against the Al-Aqsa Mosque clash. Bangladesh has shown its position in establishing an independent state of Palestine based on the two-state solution. It was stated by AK Abdul Momen, the Bangladesh economist and diplomat that Bangladesh believes the two-state solution to the Middle East Crisis, both Israel and Palestine could be living side by side.

Although Bangladesh nowadays has not yet made diplomatic ties with Israel, they might believe that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. The belief came without any trustworthy issue in bilateral relations between these two states.

Going back to history, it was stated by a professor of International Relations at Dhaka University, Imtiaz Ahmed that Israel does not hesitate to conduct violations against Palestinians because of the indemnity to the Israeli occupation forces.

The geopolitical atmosphere in the Middle East and the whole of Europe unilaterally seem to support the forces. It would continue until there is a unity between the Arab countries and the consensus among the Muslim citizens is developed against Israeli aggressions. It needs mass awareness within Israel, especially among the new generation to bring a change to the long-persistent oppression of the Israel policy. Formally Bangladesh never supports the illegal occupation of Israel in Palestine.

However, ethically they urged the global community in the Muslim world to unite against Israeli aggression to solve the Middle East crisis with a justice and a humanitarian approach. The supporting statement of Bangladesh toward Palestinians and the territorial integrity was proved in the UNSC resolutions including UNSCR 338, 425, 1397, 1515, and 1544 and also the principle of land for peace.

Referring to history, Bangladesh was the only country in the subcontinent with religious minorities. Bangladesh has become a persistent supporter of the Palestinians for an independent state and has no diplomatic relations with Israel. The supporting movement proved for years in almost oppression happened in Palestine. Bangladesh keeps giving aid to the Palestinians during the fight against Israel in the October war in 1973. Also in early 1980, Bangladesh youth went to Lebanon to fight against the Israeli invading force.

Bangladesh has shown its capability in holding the partiality toward Palestine. They keep continuing to urge the global Muslim community to stop any oppression in Palestine. It was confirmed by the UNGA, the HRC, and the International Court of Justice that the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law.

Bangladesh supports the inalienable rights of the Palestinians without any bias or ambiguity about the illegal status of Israeli occupation and settlement activities. Thus, it can be concluded that whether there is a bilateral relation or not with Palestine, Bangladesh keep supporting Palestinians and against any oppression in these state as a human right support movement.