Gaza now lies in ruins due to Israeli aggression. For years, this besieged Palestinian city has been known as the world’s largest open-air prison. Over the past year and a half, Israeli bombings, shootings, and blockades have killed thousands of Palestinians, many of whom were children. Despite the famine-like situation inside Gaza, Israeli forces continue to block the entry of aid or any form of humanitarian support. Even United Nations relief efforts have been barred. In June, renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg attempted to bring aid into Gaza, but her effort was unsuccessful.

Amid this crisis, people in Bangladesh are raising cash donations and collecting relief materials in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Although this effort has been ongoing for several years, it has intensified in recent months. Individuals, organizations, and volunteer groups are raising funds to support Gazans. Some are collecting food and medical supplies instead of cash. Many people sympathetic to the Palestinian cause are handing over money to various individuals and groups without hesitation or question. However, concerns have been raised regarding whether the funds and aid collected in Bangladesh are actually reaching Gaza.

To send aid or donations to Gaza from Bangladesh—whether collected by individuals or organizations—approval is required from the Bangladesh Bank and the government. According to officials, no individual or organization has so far obtained such approval from Bangladesh Bank. This has raised concerns about whether the funds are being transferred through illegal channels such as hundi.

The Embassy of the State of Palestine in Bangladesh is also collecting funds and aid for the people of Gaza. In addition to various bank accounts, the embassy is accepting donations through mobile financial services (MFS) platforms. However, questions remain about how much of the aid collected through the embassy is actually reaching people inside Gaza.

Former ambassador M Humayun Kabir said, “Gaza is now a completely devastated and besieged city. Even United Nations aid cannot get through. In such a situation, it’s simply not possible for any Bangladeshi individual or organization to deliver relief to Gaza.”

Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yousef S. Y. Ramadan, echoed the same concern. Speaking to Bonik Barta, he said, “According to our information, a percentage that does not exceed 10 percent, at best, arrives in the Gaza Strip. Israel continues to block the aid from entering. We have previously warned since the first day of the Israeli aggression that it is unacceptable to collect funds in the name of Gaza.”

Among the organizations raising funds for Gaza in Bangladesh are Mastul Foundation, Basmah Foundation, Hafezzi Charitable Society of Bangladesh (HCSB), and Al-Azhar Zakat and Charity House. Additionally, individuals such as Abubakar Muhammad Zakaria, a professor at the Islamic University, are also collecting donations independently. Various local mosques, educational institutions, religious and social groups are reportedly collecting cash in the name of Gaza.

Most of these fundraising efforts by both organizations and individuals are being promoted through social media. Advertisements are being posted online calling for donations to send relief to Gaza. Some groups have also enabled donation options on their websites. On its Facebook page, Mastul Foundation claims that it has been delivering food, water, medicine, and medical support to the war-torn Gaza Strip since 2024. Another group, HCSB, claims it has sent nearly BDT 10 million in aid to Palestinian refugees living in camps in Egypt. According to its website, six members of the group traveled to Egypt to deliver the aid in person.

For several weeks now, Professor Dr. Abubakar Muhammad Zakaria of the Islamic University in Kushtia has been running Facebook campaigns titled “Stand by Gaza.” In paid and boosted posts, he writes, “Today, they don’t have food. Insha’Allah, cooked meals will be distributed soon. Stand beside our brothers and sisters with whatever you can afford. Fundraising is ongoing…”

When asked by Bonik Barta how he was sending aid to Gaza, Dr. Zakaria said, “We’ve been doing this for a long time. Just last Friday, we sent BDT 900,000.” Asked how they manage to send aid into the besieged territory, he explained, “We don’t have permission to enter Gaza. One of our representatives went to Egypt and made agreements with a few local businessmen. These include some Egyptian and Arab traders who have permission to enter Gaza. We use their network to send aid. Without those traders, there’s no other way to send help into Gaza.”

When asked about the type of aid being sent, the professor clarified, “We don’t help through cash directly. Through traders, we try to provide food aid to Gaza residents as much as possible.” Asked about allegations that many individuals and organizations in Bangladesh are committing fraud in the name of Gaza aid, he responded, “I don’t know anything about that.”

Arief Hossain Khan, Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, told Bonik Barta that sending money abroad from Bangladesh requires prior approval from the central bank. “Sending money abroad without approval is considered money laundering,” he said. “So far, no individual or organization has obtained permission from Bangladesh Bank to send aid to Palestine. I also do not understand how relief is being sent into the besieged Gaza.” He added that Facebook ads asking for donations in the name of Gaza appear to be a “trap.”

For decades, Israeli forces have blockaded and attacked the Gaza Strip. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack inside Israel, which was followed by an all-out Israeli bombing campaign on Gaza. Since then, Netanyahu’s forces have carried out nearly two years of brutal assaults, leaving more than 50,000 people dead in the Palestinian enclave.

More than a thousand Palestinians have been killed while trying to collect food from aid centers operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). These aid centers in Gaza are run by the United States and Israel. The organization began its operations on May 26, following an 11-week blockade of the territory. From the beginning, the initiative has been criticized by the United Nations and various human rights groups. Concerns have been raised regarding both the quality and quantity of food provided by GHF. Currently, no aid is allowed into Gaza outside the programs operated by the US and Israel. Even United Nations aid is barred from entering the region.

Officials from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) told Middle East Eye that for more than four months, they have had around 6,000 trucks loaded with food and medical supplies stockpiled in Egypt and Jordan. However, due to the lack of Israeli approval, those trucks have still not been able to enter Gaza.

Before the blockade, aid organizations were able to send nearly 600 trucks of aid into the Gaza Strip every day. In May, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that this aid only covered the bare minimum needs of the people in the strip.

Former ambassador M Humayun Kabir believes that the ongoing aid campaigns in Bangladesh under the name of Gaza are not credible. Speaking to Bonik Barta, the former Bangladeshi ambassador to the United States, said, “Gaza has effectively been under siege for over a year. At this moment, even UN aid is completely banned from entering the Gaza Strip. Under these circumstances, claims that any other country, organization, or individual is sending aid to Gaza are not believable. Those who are collecting money or relief in Bangladesh in the name of Gaza have other intentions. The government should investigate this matter.”

He further said, “The Palestinian embassy in Bangladesh does not represent Gaza. Since 2006, President Mahmoud Abbas of the West Bank has had no authority over Gaza. A government that has no control over Gaza, how that government sends aid through its appointed ambassador, that doesn’t make sense either. The entire Muslim world stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine. But we must remain vigilant so that no one can exploit that sympathy for fraudulent purposes.”

For many years, Turkey and Qatar were among the most active countries in delivering aid to Gaza. But due to the Israeli blockade, even their operations have come to a complete halt. According to reports from the United Nations and international media, the blockade has long prevented anyone from entering or leaving Gaza without Israeli permission. The main entry point for aid into Gaza is the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border. But that, too, has been under Israeli control for years. In such a situation, only the amount of aid Israel allows is permitted to enter. Without Israel’s approval, no one can send aid into Gaza.

Major General (Retd.) ANM Muniruzzaman, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), told Bonik Barta, “Fundraising at the individual level should be stopped. If funds are raised, they should be sent through the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka or our Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Although I’m not sure if the foreign ministry provides that kind of support. Since there is no established route to send financial aid to Gaza from individual efforts, there is a strong possibility the collected funds may be used in other ways or diverted. So this method should be stopped entirely, and a proper alternative should be adopted.”

Even in 2021, during the global COVID crisis, Israeli forces carried out brutal attacks in Gaza. At that time, long lines of Bangladeshis were seen outside the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka’s Baridhara area to deliver aid. Hundreds of people from different walks of life brought cash and supplies to the embassy. Since then, the Palestinian Embassy has been sharing bank account numbers as well as Bkash, Nagad, Rocket, and Upay numbers for Gaza donations. The Palestinian Embassy’s name is still listed under the donation section of MFS platforms such as Bkash. However, questions remain regarding how much of the funds collected in Gaza’s name are actually reaching the territory.

Focusing on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka has raised questions about the transparency and effectiveness of fundraising by individuals and organizations in Bangladesh and other countries. Yusuf S.Y. Ramadan, the country’s ambassador, told Bonik Barta yesterday, “According to our information, a percentage that does not exceed 10 percent, at best, arrives in the Gaza Strip. Israel continues to block the aid from entering.”

Yusuf S.Y. Ramadan added, “Organizations take videos of this limited distribution and post them on social media, which allows them to collect funds from individual donors online by invoking their empathy. We have previously warned since the first day of the Israeli aggression that it is unacceptable to collect funds in the name of Gaza.”

However, the ambassador claims that the embassy is doing its utmost to send aid to Gaza. He said, “We are doing our duty to the fullest extent and according to the capabilities available to us. Our duty is to provide all possible support to our people in the Gaza Strip, and we are doing this through numerous families in Gaza without publishing videos of the extreme need of our vulnerable people. Protecting our citizens and preserving their dignity is very important for us Palestinian people.”

On behalf of the Embassy of the State of Palestine, Yusuf S.Y. Ramadan appealed to everyone in Bangladesh, saying, “I would like to call on all those who are collecting donations on behalf of the Gaza Strip in Bangladesh to stop doing so immediately. The people of this amazing country have donated huge amount of money to the official donation account for Gaza, who ever wishes to provide money to certain people in need in Gaza they can contact our embassy and we will do that from this fund.”