At least 130 Palestinian students’ academic futures remain uncertain after authorities suddenly revoked their visas without providing any explanation.
About 200 female students from Gaza were awarded scholarships by Chittagong’s Asian University for Women (AUW) a year and a half ago. Among them, 189 received visas-on-arrival approval from the Home Ministry in October 2023.
The students were scheduled to arrive in Chittagong via Jordan by mid-2024. However, in June, Chittagong police informed AUW that the visa-on-arrival facility had been revoked, leaving around 130 students’ educational plans in jeopardy.
Diplomatic sources reveal that delays in processing have resulted in at least 30 scholarship recipients being unaccounted for, likely as victims of Israeli attacks or having been displaced elsewhere. In response, AUW has submitted new visa applications for 171 students.
Initially, AUW’s initiative received government support. However, Chittagong Police later communicated an informal directive from “higher authorities” to cancel the visas, without issuing a formal written order.
Sources indicate resistance emerged after the interim government approved the programme in October 2023, with some questioning why Palestinian students were not encouraged to attend private universities. Several diplomats suggest that Bangladesh’s Palestinian Embassy may have played a role in influencing this decision.
The UAE has actively supported the initiative, offering logistical assistance, including special Emirates flights from Amman, and providing transport for students from Gaza to Jordan’s Queen Alia Airport.
While the UAE continues preparations for student transfers and AUW lobbies the government, some factions continue to oppose the program. In late July, the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka formally communicated to the Foreign Ministry that while grateful for Bangladesh’s scholarships, it prefers students to enroll in private universities.
Ambassador Yousef Ramadan clarified that Palestine only accepts scholarships from institutions officially recognized by its Education Ministry. Meanwhile, AUW Founder Kamal Ahmad, who recently met Palestinian ministers, pointed out Bangladesh’s precedent of granting scholarships to Afghan students without the approval of the Taliban, questioning the special scrutiny applied to Palestinians.
Prospective students and their families, enduring Gaza’s escalating violence, continue to reach out to AUW via email and social media. One student’s plea encapsulates their desperation: “We’re waiting eagerly to study in Bangladesh. Is there still hope?”