Amid Visa Confusion: Gaza students’ education at AUW in limbo
Staff Reporter :
The Chattogram police, reportedly following instructions from senior Home Ministry officials, informed the Asian University for Women (AUW) that the visa facility for about 190 female students from the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip had been revoked.
Around 200 female students from the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip were offered scholarships by the AUW in Chattogram over a year ago. In October last year, Bangladesh’s Home Ministry granted VISA-on-arrival permission to 189 of these students. However, in June, Chattogram police informed AUW that the VISA-on-arrival facility had been cancelled, creating uncertainty over the students’ ability to pursue higher education.
Diplomatic sources indicate that delays in the process have led to at least 30 scholarship recipients becoming untraceable, with reports suggesting they were either killed in Israeli attacks or relocated elsewhere. In response, new students from the selection list were added, bringing the total number of visa applicants to 171. Of these, at least 130 are currently awaiting admission.
AUW, an internationally recognised institution, has received support from the Bangladesh government to facilitate the education of Palestinian students. The AUW authorities were not provided with any written directive explaining the home ministry decision.
Diplomatic sources suggest opposition to the students’ enrolment has been orchestrated by certain quarters within the government. These actors argued that the students could attend other private universities in Bangladesh and lobbied informally to halt their arrival at AUW.
Several sources indicate that the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka has also played a role in the process.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been actively involved in facilitating the scholarships, providing logistical support for the students’ travel from Gaza to Jordan and onwards to Bangladesh via a special Emirates Airlines flight, with UNICEF coordinating road transport from Gaza to Queen Alia International Airport. The UAE Embassy in Dhaka reportedly expressed surprise at the cancellation of the visa facility after it had already been approved.
Despite these obstacles, preparations for the students’ arrival continue, with AUW authorities maintaining dialogue with the Bangladesh government. Informal pressures against the enrolment persist.
Palestinian Ambassador Yusuf Ramadan told reporters that while the embassy welcomes scholarship opportunities from Bangladeshi universities, it does not permit students to enrol at institutions not recognised by the Palestinian Ministry of Education. “The Embassy will coordinate admissions in line with the policies of the Palestinian government, as it has done for years,” he said.
Earlier this month, AUW founder and CEO Kamal Ahmed visited Palestine, meeting with ministers of foreign affairs and education, who expressed gratitude for the scholarships and support for students from Gaza.
The case underscores the complex interplay of diplomatic, administrative, and policy factors affecting educational opportunities for Palestinian students. AUW and international partners continue to work to ensure meritorious students from Gaza can access higher education in Bangladesh.