Palestinian embassy’s stance on scholarship cancellation misrepresented: Ramadan

The Palestinian ambassador to Bangladesh, Yousef SY Ramadan, claimed that the position and actions of the embassy regarding scholarships for Palestinian students to study at the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chattogram have been misrepresented.

He made the remarks at a press conference organised by the Palestinian embassy in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon.

Yousef Ramadan said he opposed sending students to AUW because of the university’s direct or indirect ties with Israel and its allies.

He further said he could not permit Palestinian students to attend institutions whose affiliations or funding sources go against the national interests of Palestine.

Ramadan held yesterday’s press conference following the publication of a report in Prothom Alo last Wednesday titled “Asian University for Women: Study of 130 Palestinian students in Bangladesh uncertain as visa approval suddenly revoked” on Wednesday, 13 August.

Referring to the report, the ambassador claimed that the allegation that delays by the embassy caused the deaths of 30 students was entirely baseless.

He explained that these 30 students voluntarily withdrew from AUW and accepted alternative scholarships arranged by the embassy.

The report published on 13 August mentioned a letter from the Palestinian embassy to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In that letter, the embassy expressed its gratitude to Bangladesh for offering scholarships to talented Palestinian students from Gaza but stated it did not want Palestinian students to study at AUW. The embassy believed that several private universities in Bangladesh could offer Palestinian students opportunities to study.

The Prothom Alo report stated that after delays in the process of bringing Palestinian students to Bangladesh, at least 30 scholarship recipients could no longer be traced. It was presumed they had either been killed in Israeli attacks or moved elsewhere. The report did not say that the deaths of 30 students occurred due to delays by the embassy.

The Palestinian ambassador said AUW is associated with several individuals and institutions that support Israel and are directly opposed to Palestinian interests.

He cited the example of AUW’s founding chancellor, Cherie Blair, wife of former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who he alleged has been involved in activities against Palestinian sovereignty, including the controversial Riviera project in Gaza.

He further alleged that AUW’s board and donors include global institutions such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bayer AG, and Direct Relief, all of which he claimed face accusations of supporting Israel or protecting its institutional interests.

While welcoming assistance from Qatar, the ambassador maintained that donations from organisations linked to Israel could not be accepted.

The Palestinian ambassador stated that five Western countries pressured the Palestinian embassy in Dhaka to approve the admission of Palestinian students to AUW on humanitarian grounds. However, the embassy rejected that pressure because those countries had not recognised the State of Palestine, and some were even providing military support to Israel for what he described as genocide against the Palestinian people.

When asked which five countries applied pressure, Yousef Ramadan identified the United States and Canada among them.

He said that Palestinian students, especially women, are not commodities to be used for political or institutional agendas. 

Yousef reaffirmed the embassy’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities for Palestinians in Bangladesh while safeguarding every Palestinian student’s dignity, rights, and security.

The ambassador said that more than 70 Palestinian students are currently studying at various institutions in Bangladesh. The embassy is working to facilitate the study of more Palestinian students in Bangladesh by following proper procedures.

He added that 20 private universities in Bangladesh — including North South University, BRAC University, IUB, Daffodil University, and East West University — have announced scholarships for 280 Palestinian students. At present, around 70 universities in Bangladesh are approved for Palestinian students.

Kamal Ahmad, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Asian University for Women, told Prothom Alo on Thursday that AUW was established under a law passed by Bangladesh’s national parliament as an international platform for women’s education and empowerment. From the outset, Palestinian students have been an important part of the university’s diverse student body.

He further said that AUW has never had any connection or association with Israel and promotes tolerance among different faiths, with students from nearly every religion studying there.

Kamal Ahmad also noted that the Gates Foundation supports global healthcare, including extensive programmes in Bangladesh.

The AUW founder said, “We want to make it very clear that AUW has not raised a single penny in the name of educating Palestinian students. The entire initiative comes from a moral responsibility to assist women living in conflict situations. Just as AUW successfully admitted 600 Afghan women after the Taliban banned women’s education, the university now seeks to take the same initiative for women in Gaza.”