In protest against the attacks on Muslims in Palestine, incidents of vandalism of Coca-Cola, Pepsi signboards, and KFC outlets have occurred in various areas of the city, including Panchlaish, Kotwali, and Kazir Dewri. However, there are no reports of casualties yet.
These incidents took place during the first day of the scheduled Israel-opposition protest program, which started with a rally at 4 PM on Monday afternoon.
On Monday, in protest against the genocide in Gaza, the oppressed people of Gaza called for a global strike. The strike, under the slogan “No Work, No School,” was observed worldwide. As part of the global protest, demonstrations were held in Chittagong from the morning, with students, colleges, universities, organizations, and political parties joining in solidarity against the genocide.
It is reported that from Sunday evening, various organizations, including the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, National Citizens’ Party (NCP), Inquilab Platform, and Hefazat-e-Islam, protested on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. These organizations announced a protest rally on Monday afternoon in front of Gate 2 at Revolution Park. As part of this rally, participants gathered from different parts of the city and marched towards the GEC area. The procession stopped in front of the KFC restaurant near the Sanmar Ocean City Shopping Mall after crossing Nasirabad at around 4:15 PM. During the protest, shoes and bricks were thrown at the restaurant, resulting in damage to the front part of the outlet. At around 4:30 PM, the procession then moved towards GEC Circle and later towards Gate 2.
Simultaneously, another group of protesters gathered at Cheragi Moor in the city. They organized a protest in front of the KFC outlet in the Jamalkhan area and prohibited the local businessmen from selling Israeli products. Meanwhile, another group of protesters gathered in front of Zaman Hotel in Kazir Dewri, where they vandalized the Ashi Restaurant.
When asked about the reason for today’s protest and their first action, a protester named Md. Farhad said, “Our first demand is that no Israeli products should be sold in Bangladesh. Our first task is to remove Israeli products from the country’s market. We must stand against Israel. We must unite with the Muslim world.”
When asked why she joined the protest and what action she thought was necessary, a female protester responded, “Bangladesh is a Muslim country. The way Israel is committing genocide, Gaza has practically turned into a desert. We are the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Our Prophet says that if a Muslim brother or sister is in trouble and we cannot physically help them, jihad, as prescribed in Islam, becomes obligatory for us. The people of Gaza are Muslims, and we are Muslims. They are crying, and we cannot remain indifferent. We must answer for them. That’s why we are here today to protest against Israel on behalf of the people of Gaza.”
When asked about the sacrifice made in boycotting Israeli products, she responded, “I personally have been boycotting Israeli products for a long time. My family does not use them either. We must all boycott American and Israeli products. By purchasing their products, we send them remittances which they use to build bombs against us. I urge everyone to avoid Israeli and American products, for the sake of Allah. Use local products.”
Regarding the vandalism, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Panchlaish Police Station, Mohammad Solaiman, repeatedly disconnected the calls when contacted for a comment.