A group of 68 Bangladeshi women’s rights activists have strongly condemned the silence and indirect support of mainstream western feminists regarding sexual violence and abuse of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

In a joint statement issued today, the activists declared, “We, Bangladeshi women’s rights activists, unequivocally denounce the silence and indirect endorsement of mainstream western feminists concerning the rape, sexual violence, and abuse of Palestinian detainees by members of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), IPS (Israel Prison Service), and prison security staff.”

Citing reports from international human rights organisations, lawyers, and journalists, the statement said Palestinian women, men, and children are routinely subjected to sexual abuse and humiliation in Israeli prisons, treated in ways that strip them of dignity and humanity.

The activists argued that the refusal of western feminists to condemn state-sanctioned sexual violence by Israel exposes the racial bias in their politics.

“Feminism that speaks out against gender-based violence elsewhere but refuses to recognise Israel’s organised crimes is not feminism. It is complicity in war crimes,” the statement read.

They further emphasised that women’s rights movements are rooted in justice, dignity, and the right to life.

The activists demanded accountability for every act of sexual violence and abuse committed in Israeli prisons, warning that silence amounts to indirect support for war crimes.

Notable signatories include researcher and human rights activist Rozyna Begum, Dhaka University professor Dr Kajalie Shehreen Islam and Dr Samina Luthfa, New York University academic Dr Dina Siddiqi, rights activist Khushi Kabir, journalist and researcher Dr Saydia Gulrukh, and Supreme Court lawyer Sadia Arman, among others.