Meet the Bangladeshi volunteers who went to war for Palestine
Most surviving volunteers who risked their lives to liberate Palestine in the 1980s are now in their 70s. Yet their courage and enthusiasm remain undiminished, and they still aspire to join the fight
Ziaul Kabir Dulu, now 67 years old, took part in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. But that wasn't his sole war experience. Later on, he also participated in a war for Palestine.
"I was sent by Major MA Jalil. I participated in the Bangladesh liberation war under his command. Several of my comrades who fought with me went to fight for Palestine as well," Dulu shared with The Business Standard in a recent conversation.
He was one of about 8,000 Bangladeshi youths who volunteered to fight for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the 1980s, according to a September 1988 US Library of Congress report.
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A few Palestinian military figures were also sent to Bangladesh to participate in training courses, Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported in 2014 referring to the US Library of Congress.
Later, the Bangladeshi youths travelled nearly 5,500 kilometres to participate in the war. Among them, at least 476 were captured by Israeli forces, enduring severe torture in prison camps.
"Some went to rescue Baitul Muqaddas, the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque from Israeli occupation, some were motivated by the sense of Islamic brotherhood, and some went as part of the war against the imperialist United States, because the US supports Israel," said Dulu.
"Many wanted to liberate Palestine and make Jerusalem the capital. A common goal was to end Israel," he added.
Notably, not everyone who participated in the war was driven solely by Islamic sentiments. Dulu mentioned that two Hindus were also part of his group. "However, after returning to the country, I lost contact with them," he said.
The volunteers mainly included followers of Major MA Jalil, who commanded Sector 9 of the liberation war in 1971, as well as the revolutionary soldiers of Colonel Taher, who commanded Sector 11, and the late Awami League leader Abdur Razzak—one of the key organisers of the liberation war.
After returning home, these volunteers formed a committee named "Palestine Returnee Freedom Fighters Association".
"On 7 July 1982, we established an organisation with 102 returnees. As more individuals returned to the country, our organisation gained strength. Eventually, our network expanded to include at least two to three thousand people," said Dulu, the association's president.
Many of those who participated in the war are no longer alive. When they risked their lives for Palestine, they were young, but now nearly all of the surviving volunteers are in their 70s. Yet age has not diminished their courage and enthusiasm; their passion for Palestine remains strong.
"I truly wanted to liberate Palestine and pray at Masjid al-Aqsa, but that was not our destiny. Even so, if the government sends me, Insha Allah, I am willing to go for Islam," said Abu Taher Sarkar, another volunteer who returned from Palestine and is also a freedom fighter from Bangladesh.
"I want to stand by my Palestinian brothers. Now at 70 years old, my morale is unbroken. So, I am ready to go if called upon by the government," he affirmed steadfastly.
Dramatic journey from Bangladesh to Beirut
Bangladeshis began travelling for the war in 1980.
In early 1981, 47 Bangladeshis, including freedom fighter Ziaul Kabir Dulu, departed for Lebanon. This group comprised students, retired soldiers, members of the JSD (Jalil-Rob), and Colonel Taher's Revolutionary Soldiers' Organisation.
At the airport, the government suspected a hijacking plot, which delayed their departure. The group contacted Palestinian Ambassador Ahmed Abdur Razzaq, who intervened and allowed them to fly two hours later. They travelled with $100 in pocket money provided by the embassy.
The group's route included stops in Pakistan, Bangkok, Dubai, and Syria. After spending 6-7 days in a PLO camp in Syria, they travelled to Lebanon by road.
Abu Taher Sarkar, however, left the country in a more dramatic way in the late 1980s.
Initially working at Moon Cinema Hall under the Freedom Fighters' Welfare Trust, he left Bangladesh as a volunteer. He was totally unaware that he was joining the fight.
A cousin encouraged him to get a passport, suggesting an opportunity abroad, while a friend named Khalil hinted at a volunteer programme that could lead to Europe. Neither of them disclosed that it involved fighting for Palestine.
Before leaving, Abu Taher did not inform his family about his departure. He only told one of his friends, who later informed his family.
"I kept it from my family because my son was just seven days old, and my wife and the baby were in Dhaka at the time. When they eventually learned of my departure, they moved to the village."
At the airport, Abu Taher realised that he was going to join the PLO. After helping to liberate Bangladesh in 1971, he felt a strong desire to fight against the oppression in Jerusalem, especially for Al-Aqsa Mosque, which gave him a sense of purpose.
His group of 21 first travelled to Bangkok via Thai Air and then to Beirut through Pakistan and Syria. They underwent ten days of weapons training at the Hamburiya camp in Syria, followed by more extensive training at Bir Hassan in Beirut, from which they were dispatched for various operations.
Rigorous training in Lebanon
Upon arriving in Beirut, Ziaul Kabir Dulu's group of 47 was divided and sent to Sidon in southern Lebanon for rigorous training at a camp on Mount Arnam.
Sidon, Lebanon's third-largest city on the Mediterranean coast, was a hub where around 100 trainees gathered, including 30-35 Bangladeshis and volunteers from Pakistan, Yemen, and Sri Lanka.
"Some were also sent inside Israel after receiving intelligence training. They gave us information from the inside. After the training, many of our names were changed. My name was Abdur Rahman," Dulu said.
Some of them had already had army training and freedom fighter training, he said.
"We were warned in training about F-16 attacks in the air at any time, naval attacks from the Mediterranean. We were trained on how to destroy tanks and planes. The fighters among us also had experience in destroying Israeli warplanes."
One such notable figure was fighter pilot Saiful Azam, remembered for his role in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Fighting for Jordan, he set a unique record by downing three Israeli aircraft within the war's first 72 hours, earning him special honours from Iraq and Jordan.
Fierce battles on the frontlines
Abu Taher Sarker, who was shot in the leg during Bangladesh's Liberation War in Sector 11, faced intense front-line battles again in Lebanon. He even participated in an operation led by PLO chief Yasser Arafat.
Reflecting on one incident, he said, "I was on duty at a checkpoint near our camp. When I arrived, there was no trace of our 12 men. Suddenly, shots were fired on us."
Taking cover, he and six others counterattacked with rocket launchers, collapsing a building occupied by Israeli soldiers.
Describing another operation led by Arafat, he shared, "Arafat conducted an operation with foreign soldiers, including Bangalis. He was in the tank. We were victorious, and several Israelis were killed."
On 5 June, 1982, Israel launched a major assault on Lebanon, prompting the PLO to advise the Bangladeshis to withdraw. "Around 1983, PLO commanders told us they couldn't survive here. 'You should also leave,' they said," Abu Taher recalled.
During the retreat, they faced heavy Israeli attacks. "Our camp was near the Mediterranean Sea, and we noticed a submarine surfacing. We opened fire, killing about 25 Israeli captives. Bombs then hit the camp, and we evacuated to the beach," Abu Taher said.
Injured in the chaos, one of his comrades had to be carried 30 kilometres through mountains to Beirut. Once there, the PLO advised them to leave Lebanon by any means possible.
Six months in Israeli prison camp
Freedom fighter Abu Siddique joined the PLO in late 1981 with a batch of 105 volunteers. He is one of 476 Bangladeshis who went through the horrific experience of being captured by the Israeli forces.
"The war started on 6 June, 1982, with Israeli tanks and troops attacking from land, sea, and air. We fought back and managed to down 29 Israeli planes during this war," he recounted.
However, they eventually ran out of ammunition and were captured, transported to Beirut airport, and later moved to a camp in Israel after being sorted by nationality.
Abu Siddique also described the harrowing conditions of the camp: "They put 400-500 people in a tent meant for 50. Every morning, they lined us up for roll calls, and checked if anyone was ill." Those suspected of being potential threats were taken to a torture cell.
Describing the torture cell, he said, "There were three boys and three girls there, who were basically students. One wrote reports, one made videos, and the other interrogated. I spoke to them in English.
"They asked me: 'Why have you come from Bangladesh? If you tell the truth, the torture will be less.' I then frankly admitted that I was a freedom fighter in 1971. I came here to fight for Palestine."
After learning about his freedom fighter identity, they said: "We had declared our recognition of your leader Sheikh Mujib. But they did not accept our recognition. Why did you not accept it?" In response, Abu Siddique said, "My leader can say it."
Abu Siddique was then beaten with sticks and hands, which left him unable to hear in his right ear. Also, it became impossible for him to sleep due to persistent pain.
However, he also added, "They were students forced into service, and they didn't support their government's stance against Palestine. They wanted peace as much as we did."
Escape from the prison camp
According to Abu Siddique, the International Red Cross contacted them around November-December 1982. They came and registered them.
Then within a month, they transferred them to Lebanon. From there, they brought them to Beirut airport. They reached Bangladesh on 3 December.
"We were under the Red Cross, but one of them died of cancer before we returned. 22 to 25 people sent proposals to the Red Cross to go to different countries. Then they stayed in those countries with political asylum, they did not return to the country. Some of them were from the Jasad underground. Some of them had cases in the country," Abu Siddique said.
The story of volunteer Abu Taher Sarkar's return to his country was also thrilling. When they fled the Israeli attack and went to Beirut, they heard that the British Embassy in Lebanon was helping ordinary expatriates. So from there they went to the British Embassy in Beirut.
"We introduced ourselves to the British as Madani (civilians), not as Fatah's Kheda'i (soldiers). We hid it because the situation had changed. If they had identified us, they could have handed us over to the Jews," Abu Taher said.
"We said that we were working there as labourers. They gave us passports (form system) with the embassy's seal on them," he added.
He mentioned that during that time, East and West Beirut were occupied by Christians and Jews. They were in West Beirut, from where they were taken to a refugee camp in East Beirut. After spending 15 days there, they were transported by ship, alongside citizens from various countries, to Cyprus through the Red Cross.
While at sea, the ship was intercepted by Israeli forces. Fifteen individuals from their group were taken into a submarine for questioning regarding their knowledge of weapons.
Despite initially believing they lacked any expertise, they later realised they could operate a range of arms, including rocket launchers and machine guns. After about three hours, they were returned to the ship in a rubber boat.
"Later, we reached an island in Cyprus. From there, we were sent to Dubai by a Red Cross plane. From there, we went to Kolkata via Karachi and from there to Dhaka airport. There, we were approximately 100 Bangalis on our flight," he added.
Kamal Mustafa Ali: the 'heroic martyr'
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar published a story titled "Remembering the Past: Bangladeshi Fighters for Palestine of the 1980s" in September 2014, which highlighted the tale of Kamal Mustafa Ali, a Bangladeshi martyr.
His tombstone is located in the Palestinian Martyr Cemetery on the outskirts of the Shatila refugee camp in southern Beirut, where many who fought for the Palestinian cause are buried.
Among the tombstones of Palestinians, there are a few belonging to foreigners, including one for Ali. His grave features a Quranic verse from the House of Imran: "And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of God as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision."
The tombstone records his name and nationality, describing him as a "heroic martyr" who died on 22 July, 1982, during a battle at the Castle of the High Rock in Nabatiyeh.
The castle was a significant battleground during the Israeli invasion that began on 6 June, 1982. Despite the rapid loss of control by the PLO, the Israeli forces faced relentless resistance from Palestinian groups and later Hezbollah until their eventual retreat in 2000. Ali's death occurred during one of the early attempts to reclaim the castle.
His body was recovered in 2004 following a German-mediated exchange deal between Hezbollah and Israel. The caretakers of the cemetery report that his remains were sent back to Bangladesh, where a grave was established to honour his sacrifice.
Still committed to the Palestine cause
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict began with the Balfour Declaration in World War I, where Britain pledged to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Following significant Jewish migration, tensions escalated, leading to the 1947 UN partition plan that proposed separate Arab and Jewish states. This resulted in the 1948 Nakba, during which over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed as Israel was established.
In 1993, the Oslo Accords marked a historic recognition between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, but the peace process deteriorated as Israeli settlements expanded in the West Bank, growing from 250,000 in 1993 to nearly 700,000 by September 2023.
Since the recent outbreak of violence on 7 October, 2023, at least 41,870 Palestinians have been killed in the last one year, according to Al Jazeera. This tragic situation continues to resonate deeply with the Bangladeshi volunteers who once travelled to liberate Palestine.
Freedom fighter Dulu feels that the liberation struggle of Palestine is far from over.
"Where there is no Arab unity, even then the Palestinians have survived for 70-80 years is a big deal. And if this had happened in Bangladesh, we could not have become independent in nine months. Until Palestine is independent, our war is also going on."
