Nationwide Shutdown in Bangladesh Over Gaza Genocide

Students and Professionals Across Bangladesh Stage Nationwide Shutdown in Solidarity with Palestine

Students from universities, schools, madrasas, along with a wide spectrum of professional and civil society organizations, brought daily life across Bangladesh to a halt on Monday in a powerful display of solidarity with Palestine. Responding to the global “World Stops for Gaza” campaign, classes and exams were suspended from early morning, and campuses across the country emptied as people joined the movement against Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.

An initiative that began as an online campaign quickly evolved into a sweeping academic and professional walkout. From Dhaka University’s bustling corridors to the remote campus of Rangamati Science and Technology University, students and faculty alike poured into the streets—armed with placards, protest chants, and a deep sense of moral urgency.

“We are students, not soldiers—but we cannot remain silent while genocide unfolds before our eyes,” said Sharmin Jahan, a third-year International Relations student at Jahangirnagar University. “This is not only about Gaza. It’s about rejecting injustice everywhere.”

Dhaka University made an official move by suspending all classes and exams, even closing administrative offices for two hours—a rare gesture of institutional solidarity. The university’s Public Relations Office cited the action as a stand against the “inhuman aggression” in Gaza.

Faculty members also joined in. At Jagannath University, the teachers’ association held a noon rally at the Shaheed Minar. Dr. Md Rois Uddin, the association’s general secretary, described the protest as “a moral obligation,” stating, “The barbaric assault on Gaza cannot go unanswered.”

In Rangpur, Begum Rokeya University announced a solidarity rally at its campus monument. “This is not about politics—it’s about principle,” said Zakir Hossain, a sociology student. “We speak up because silence equals complicity.”

At Islamic University in Kushtia, the administration declared a symbolic shutdown for Wednesday, inviting all campus members to join in protest. The announcement framed it as “a stand on the right side of history.”

The wave of mobilization extended far beyond public universities. Students from Tangail Textile Engineering College, Pirojpur Science and Technology University, and Madrasa-e-Alia Dhaka joined the shutdown in unity. “Justice isn’t a religious or secular issue—it’s a human one,” said Hamidul Azam, a senior madrasa student.

The momentum surged online Sunday night, as students launched the “No Work, No School” campaign through Facebook, calling for a boycott of classes and exams. By Monday, students from Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College were seen marching through Dhaka University, carrying red placards reading: “Show Israel the Red Card.”

“Genocide should never be normalized,” said Tasfia Rahman, a second-year student. “We may be young, but we are not blind. The world’s silence only amplifies our voices.”

Outside the classroom, professional groups and activist networks organized solidarity marches, human chains, and flash rallies—transforming public spaces into grounds for collective resistance and demands for justice in Gaza.