Communist and socialist parties across South Asia staged coordinated protests on Friday, March 21st, denouncing Israel’s recent military operations in Gaza. The demonstrations by the South Asian communists, held in major cities throughout Bangladesh, India and other nations in the region, saw thousands gather to express solidarity with Palestinians and condemn what they described as ongoing genocidal attacks by Israeli forces.
The protests come in the wake of renewed Israeli airstrikes that reportedly killed over 1,000 Palestinians, including women and children, despite ceasefire arrangements. Demonstrators particularly criticised what they characterised as the complicity of Western powers, especially the United States, and called on regional governments to take stronger diplomatic stands against Israel.
Bangladesh sees multiple concurrent demonstrations
In Bangladesh, both the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (SPB) organised separate rallies in the capital, Dhaka. The CPB staged its demonstration in front of its central office at Purana Paltan, where party president Mohammad Shah Alam addressed supporters.
“The massacre committed by the Israeli forces in Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire, has once again exposed the naked face of imperialism,” Mr Alam told the assembled crowd. “This most brutal attack of the century has been carried out with the direct support of US imperialism and in collusion with their Middle Eastern agents,” he added.
CPB general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince criticised the United Nations for its perceived inadequate response to the crisis. “No sane person in the world can tolerate such a big crime against humanity. But it is very sad that the United Nations is not playing a proper role in this regard,” Mr Prince said.
Following the speeches, CPB supporters marched to the National Press Club, traversing major thoroughfares in Dhaka.
The SPB simultaneously held its own rally at the National Press Club, chaired by party general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz, who called on the international community to take decisive action against Israeli aggression. The party’s assistant general secretary, Razequzzaman Ratan, specifically urged Bangladesh’s interim government to apply pressure on Israel to cease its military operations.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) had earlier condemned Israel’s renewed offensive targeting civilians in Gaza. The MFA has stated that the renewed cycle of violence represents “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and a grievous disregard for established ceasefire agreements”.
Bangladesh unequivocally denounces the Israeli occupation forces’ continued indiscriminate airstrikes on densely populated civilian areas, which have exacerbated human suffering and inflicted devastating consequences upon the defenceless Palestinian population, the MFA said in the press release.
On Friday, beyond the leftist parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) also condemned the Israeli operations. In a statement, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir described Gaza as a “slaughterhouse” and characterised the killing of civilians as a crime against humanity.
University students and religious organisations also staged demonstrations across Bangladesh. At Dhaka University, students organised under the banner of Inquilab Mancha held a procession after Friday prayers. Similar demonstrations occurred in Chattogram, Jashore, and Kushtia, reflecting widespread sentiment across the country.
India’s communist parties lead Delhi protests
In India, several communist parties organised a significant protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The demonstration, convened by the Palestine Solidarity Organisation, saw participation from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation [CPI(ML)], the Communist Party of India (CPI), and various student and progressive organisations.
Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) Politburo member Subhashini Ali questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government’s restraint on Israel’s renewed attacks on Gaza. “The silence of the Indian government on the ongoing aggression is deafening,” she remarked, condemning Israel’s violation of ceasefire agreements.
CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya also spoke at the protest, urging global solidarity with Palestine. Senior CPI leader Aziz Pasha and noted academic Achin Vanaik were among other prominent voices at the demonstration.
South Asian communists contest Modi’s foreign policy
The Communist parties have been particularly vocal in their criticism of Mr Modi’s approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict. In a statement released on March 20th, the CPI characterised the Indian government’s response as inadequate, referring to a “33-word statement” from the Ministry of External Affairs that they claimed failed to condemn Israeli airstrikes or acknowledge Palestinian casualties.
The CPI statement made explicit references to what it described as ideological alignment between Zionists and the Hindutva movement led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organisation of Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“This disgraceful and inhuman stance by the Government of India clearly demonstrates that the RSS-BJP regime is endorsing the genocide being committed by the fascist-Zionist Israeli government, as both are ideologically aligned,” the statement asserted.
Similarly, the CPI(M), India’s largest communist party, issued a statement on Wednesday criticising Israel’s “renewed genocidal attacks” and the “total blockade of all supplies to Gaza.” The party also condemned the Trump administration for “conniving with this latest aggression by Israel, which aims to flatten Gaza and starve the people out of their homeland.”
Regional influence of communist parties
The protests highlight the continued influence of communist and socialist parties across South Asia. In several countries in the region, including Nepal and Sri Lanka, communist-led coalitions hold governmental power. The Indian state of Kerala is also governed by a communist-led alliance.
Nepal’s ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Sri Lanka’s governing Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna have both expressed opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, aligning with the positions of their counterparts in Bangladesh and India.
The demonstrations reflect a longstanding tradition among South Asian leftist parties of supporting Palestinian statehood and opposing Israeli military operations. This position dates back to the Cold War era when many South Asian communist parties maintained close ties with the Soviet Union and its allies in the Middle East.
Calls for international response
A common thread across the South Asian communist protests was the demand for concrete international action. Speakers at various rallies called for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing the International Court of Justice’s preliminary ruling that Israel’s actions could potentially constitute genocide.
In Dhaka, CPB’s Head of International Department, Hasan Tariq Chowdhury, stated: “The International Court of Justice has already ruled that the brutal killings carried out by the Israeli forces in Palestine are genocide. As a result, the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for crimes against humanity is now the demand of the world community.”
Protesters across the region also demanded immediate humanitarian aid for Gaza, an end to military and economic ties with Israel, and comprehensive diplomatic pressure to enforce a lasting ceasefire.
The protest organisers in Bangladesh announced plans for continued mobilisation, with the Palestine Solidarity Committee Bangladesh scheduling nationwide rallies for Sunday. Gana Forum announced a follow-up protest rally at the National Press Club on Saturday.
As the crisis in Gaza continues to unfold, South Asian communist parties appear determined to maintain pressure on both their national governments and the international community to take more decisive action in support of the Palestinian people.
