Trump mask, ‘blood’ & coffins: Lakhs join March for Gaza in Bangladesh, protesters stand on Israeli flag in viral videos

Around 1,00,000 protesters rallied in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Saturday to condemn Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. According to reports, tens of thousands of protesters gathered at the Suhrawardy Park in the Dhaka University area on Saturday.

The Dhaka Tribune reported that political parties, Islamic scholars, and people from all walks of life had earlier expressed solidarity with this program, which caused the masses to spontaneously participate.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and Islamist groups and parties also expressed their solidarity with the rally.

Scores of videos of the protest flooded on social media on Saturday. One of the video showed protesters standing on the flag of Israel. Many protesters could be seen holding Palestinian flags. They chanted slogans such as “Free, Free Palestine.”

"A human flood in the streets of Bangladesh in support of the people of Gaza," a social media user wrote while sharing a video showing a sea of crowd waving Palestinian flag.

In another video, people could be seen donning masks of US President Donald Trump and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, with stains of red paint – depicting blood – on their clothes. Symbolic coffins and effigies representing civilian casualties were carried during the rally.

Mint could not verify the authenticity of those videos.

Meanwhile, hashtags — #FreePalestine, #MarchForGaza #palestinesolidaritymovementbangladesh, #Bangladesh_for_Palestine — was widely shared on the social media platforms.

What Bangladesh protesters want?

Representatives of political forums and religious platforms, along with hundreds of thousands of people under the banner of “Palestine Solidarity Movement Bangladesh,” declared four sets of demands. According to the Dhaka Tribune, their demands included:

1. An immediate end to the mass killings in Gaza—going beyond just a ceasefire

2. Prosecution of Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC)

3. Severing of all diplomatic, economic, and military ties with Israel by Muslim governments

4. The imposition of trade sanctions and boycotts without delay.

The movement also called on the Bangladesh government to reinstate the “Except Israel” clause on Bangladeshi passports, reaffirm the state’s refusal to recognize Israel, and take immediate steps to send medical and humanitarian aid to Gaza, the report added.

They further demanded reforms in the national education policy to include the history of Palestine, Al-Aqsa, and the legacy of Muslim resistance.

Palestine Solidarity Movement Bangladesh also urged a nationwide boycott of companies, products, and services that directly or indirectly support Israel’s actions—encouraging people to carry the spirit of Gaza into their homes, classrooms, culture, and economy.