By Mustak Zahid
DHAKA: A million of people flooded Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, as the capital witnessed one of its largest demonstrations in recent months—a powerful expression of solidarity with the people of Palestine. The “March for Gaza,” organized by various groups to raise awareness and amplify the call for justice, began to take shape long before its scheduled start at 3:00 pm, with processions starting to flow in from early morning.
The participants, waving both the national flag of Bangladesh and the Palestinian flag, gathered in unity to show support for Gaza amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region. Activists, students, and concerned citizens, from Shahbagh to Nilkhet, rallied together to call for an end to the violence in Gaza and to press for a global response rooted in justice and peace.
Rafiqul Islam, who travelled from Dhanmondi with five of his friends, shared the collective sentiment of helplessness that many attendees felt but stressed the importance of showing up. “We can’t directly stop the violence in Gaza, but we are here to show our support for the Palestinian people and make it clear that we stand by them,” he said, underscoring the unifying message of the march.
The atmosphere around Suhrawardy Udyan was charged with emotion and purpose. Vendors selling Palestinian flags and supporters of the movement joined the crowd, with Tanvirul Islam, one of the vendors, commenting on the significance of the gathering. “I’m not just here to sell flags,” he said. “I’m here to raise my voice against the oppression of Muslims. The crowd is overwhelming, and there’s barely space to walk.”
