 | |
 Bangladesh |  Palestine |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Bangladesh,Amman | Embassy of Palestine, Dhaka |
| Envoy | |
| AmbassadorNahida Sobhan[1] | Chargé d'AffairesYousef S. Y. Ramadan |
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Relations between thePeople's Republic of Bangladesh and theState of Palestine are close and cordial. Bangladesh has been a consistent supporter of thePalestinians right to be an independent state. Bangladesh has a complete ban on trade (direct and indirect) with theState of Israel and has nodiplomatic relations with it.[2] Bangladesh supports the establishment of a Palestinian state drawn on the 1967 boundary withEast Jerusalem as the capital.[3] Palestine is represented in Bangladesh by theEmbassy of the State of Palestine inDhaka.[4] Yousef S. Y. Ramadan is the PalestinianChargé d'Affaires in Dhaka.[5]
Prior to Bangladeshi independence, manyBengalis ofEast Pakistan expressed their intention to fight in the1948 Arab–Israeli War.[citation needed] The relationship between Bangladesh and Palestine, particularly thePalestine Liberation Organization (PLO), can be traced back to theBangladesh War of Independence in 1971. Bangladesh rejected recognition from Israel.[2][6] At first, most Arab states were hesitant to recognize the newly established state of Bangladesh, but relations warmed in 1973, when Bangladesh supported the Palestinians' against Israel during theYom Kippur War in 1973 including sending a medical team and relief supplies for Palestinians.[7][8]
The first high-level meeting between the two countries took place in 1974, whenYasser Arafat metPrime MinisterSheikh Mujibur Rahman inLahore at the second summit of theOrganization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).[9] A relationship with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was established around that time period, in which Bangladesh opened a PLO office in the capital, Dhaka, and PLO officials were frequent guests at events hosted by the Bangladeshi political and diplomatic corps.[7]
In 1980, a postal stamp was created depicting a Palestinian freedom fighter, theAl-Aqsa mosque in the background shrouded by barbed wire, and text celebrating Palestinian fighters as"valiant" in English and Arabic.[7]
Yasser Arafat visited Bangladesh several times between the 1970s and 1990s, including accompanyingNelson Mandela andSüleyman Demirel for Bangladesh's 25 year anniversary of independence. He usually received a warm welcome from Bangladeshi media, political circles and the general public. According to a September 1988 US Library of Congress report, the Bangladeshi government reported in 1987, that 8,000 Bangladeshi youths had volunteered to fight for the PLO following this visit.[citation needed]
476 Bangladeshis were captured and tortured by Israeli forces in prison camps in the1982 Lebanon War. Bengalis reportedly shot down 29 Israeli aircraft and inflicted dozens of casualties in the war. Some Bangladeshis were reported missing and Kamal Mustafa Ali, who was a Bangladeshi was martyred during a battle in 1982.[10]
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During the ongoingGaza war andGaza Genocide, Bangladesh showed support for Palestine,[11][12][13] and backedSouth Africa's genocide case against Israel. In a statement, theMinistry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned theIsraeli bombardments on Gaza Strip for "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians and urged the international community to take immediate and effective step to implement an unconditional ceasefire, protect the lives of civilians, and deliver humanitarian aid; it also affirmed its support forPalestinian self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the basis of thepre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.[14][15] Bangladesh also called for a ceasefire several times.[16][17][18] Bangladesh government sent relief aid including food and medical supplies to Gaza inRamadan.[19][20] Conversely,Palestine Authority also sent relief aid to Bangladesh during theAugust 2024 Bangladesh floods.[21][22]
Apart from the government, various political parties, including theJamaat-e-Islami, supported a ceasefire and demonstrated expressing support for Palestine in Gaza war.[23] and On 12 April 2025, Bangladesh organizedMarch for Gaza procession inSuhrawardy Udyan, which attracted around a million participants.[24] It was the largest ever pro-Palestine demonstration in Bangladesh's history.[25]
Bangladesh offers scholarship for Palestinian students in medical colleges in Bangladesh and Palestinian factions officers are provided training in Bangladeshi military facilities.[26] Since the 1980s underInternational Military Education and Training (IMET), there has been development of military ties between the PLO and Bangladesh, with PLO soldiers attending one-year courses at theBangladesh Military Academy inChittagong.[citation needed]
In December 2016, Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding with Palestine on trade and energy cooperation.[27]Palestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbas visited Dhaka in February 2017.[28]
A rally by Bangladesh's major religio-political party Jamaat-e-Islami on Monday condemned the Israeli attacks on Gaza and urged the Muslim world to ensure the safety of Palestinians and their rights. The party brought out the procession in the capital Dhaka where the party leaders condemned Israel for suspending power and water supply to Gaza. The rally participants also criticized the UN for its silence on the rights of Palestinians, not taking measures, and not recognizing the 75-year Palestinians' struggle for building a peaceful sovereign state.
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