DU students hold funeral in absentia for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stage protest rally

Students of Dhaka University on Sunday night held a funeral in absentia for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme religious leader who was killed in a joint US-Israeli attack.  

They also brought out a protest march on the campus demanding international accountability and Muslim unity.

The funeral prayer was held at 10:45pm at the university’s VC Chattar, where hundreds of students gathered under the banner of the Dhaka University Central Student Union (DUCSU). DUCSU Vice President Shadik Kayem conducted the prayer.

Following the funeral, the students marched through different roads of the campus and ended their procession with a brief rally at the foot of the Raju Memorial Sculpture.

Addressing the rally, DUCSU VP Shadik Kayem said, “One of the reasons for the oppression and torture of Muslims all over the world is the division of the Muslim world. It is not possible to overcome this crisis without unity,” he said, calling upon the youth and heads of state across Muslim-majority countries, including Bangladesh, to unite.

He added that ideological differences should not prevent collective resistance against injustice. “We may have ideological differences, but we all have to stand together against injustice, oppression and imperialism. If we remain silent, what is happening in Iran or Palestine today may happen in our country one day,” he said.

The DUCSU VP also announced plans to turn Dhaka into what he termed a “solidarity hub” for the Muslim world. “We will lead the freedom movement of the Muslim world from Dhaka, God willing,” he said, referring in his speech to Muslims in Palestine, Kashmir, Xinjiang and Rakhine and expressing hope for their liberation.

Strongly condemning the recent military aggression by the United States and Israel in Iran, DUCSU leaders placed a six-point set of demands before the international community.

The demands included immediate and effective diplomatic initiatives to stop the violence, accountability for alleged violations of international law, and protection of civilians under international humanitarian law.

They also called for transparent investigations into alleged breaches of international standards, strengthened humanitarian assistance for the injured and displaced, and resolution of conflicts through dialogue and mutual respect rather than violence.

Earlier on the same day, students at Jagannath University held a similar funeral in absentia at noon. Another funeral prayer was held after Asr at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

Khamenei was killed in a joint attack by Israel and the United States on Saturday night (Bangladesh time). The religious leader, who played a central role in Iran’s Islamic Revolution and had served as the country’s supreme leader for decades, remained a prominent figure in regional and global politics.