Maha earns full scholarship at North South University, but remains trapped in Gaza

After completing her final MBBS exams at Chittagong Medical College, Maha Shbair returned to her homeland – Palestine – for a two-year internship. Now a fully qualified physician, Maha should have been preparing to begin a ‘normal’ career like any other young doctor -- or pursuing higher studies. But none of that has happened for Maha.

Why? Because she was born in Palestine. Israeli strikes have flattened her family home, and she has lost eight loved ones, including her aunt and uncle. Along with her parents and siblings, she now stays in a refugee tent.

In early 2025, a glimmer of hope emerged for Maha when she received a full scholarship from North South University in Bangladesh to pursue a master’s degree in public health. The offer even includes a position as a research assistant at the university. But her journey to Bangladesh remains uncertain as the borders of Palestine are now controlled by Israel.

When contacted over WhatsApp on 1 July, Maha shared that their home in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, was demolished in May. Her family has since taken refuge about eight kilometers away, in a seaside area called Mawasi Khan Yunis. There, some eight members of her family share a cramped tent, alongside thousands of other displaced people – nearly 10,000 in total.

Among them in the tent is the one-and-a-half year old nephew of Maha. “Since birth, my sister’s son has never eaten meat, fruit, or any nutritious food,” Maha said with a sigh.

“We are barely surviving on rice, lentils, and seeds. There is no electricity here, and clean drinking water is scarce. The rice and lentils we managed to bring while fleeing home are almost finished. There are no nearby shops. There are temporary markets, but nothing is available but flour and rice. Prices are also very high.”

Maha came to Bangladesh in 2017 to study at Chittagong Medical College, pursuing her dream of becoming a physician. Back then, Bangladesh was an unknown land to her. Over time, it became her “second home.” She fell in love with the food, the warmth of the people, and most importantly, with how Bangladeshis consistently stand in solidarity with Palestine. For that, she says, she is forever grateful.

Since returning to Palestine, her friends and teachers from Chittagong Medical College have kept in touch. It was on the advice of her friends Maliha Mehjabeen and Faisal Chowdhury that she applied for a master’s programme at North South University.

“Nobody wants to leave their homeland and family willingly,” Maha said. “But the situation here is so dire that escaping Palestine now feels like our only chance of survival. We do not know if we will ever be able to make it to Bangladesh.”

She also said crossing the border is nearly impossible unless the Bangladesh embassy in Jordan or a nearby country steps in to help. “I have already emailed the Bangladeshi embassy in Jordan explaining my situation, but have not received any response yet.”

Maha was supposed to begin her summer semester classes in April at North South University.

In this regard, Professor MN Islam, director of graduate studies at the university, said, “Maha was awarded a full scholarship due to her good results in bachelor. She was also offered a job at the university so that she can study uninterruptedly. But due to the war, she has not been able to attend classes yet. Efforts are underway to bring her to Bangladesh before the next semester begins.”

He added that the university has sent emails requesting assistance to Bangladesh embassies in Jordan, Qatar, and Morocco, but none have responded so far. The Palestinian embassy in Dhaka has also said they are helpless in this matter.

Professor MN Islam urged the government to step in and extend assistance to Maha on humanitarian ground.