DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Thousands of activists in Bangladesh backed by the ruling party’s student wing marched through universities around the country Monday to demand an end to the Israel-Hamas war and the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League marched through the campus of the prestigious Dhaka University chanting anti-Israel slogans, carrying Bangladeshi and Palestinian flags and spreading banners saying “Free Palestine, Stop Genocide.” Many other students also joined the rally, organizers said.

Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of nearly 170 million people, maintains no diplomatic relations with Israel and has called for an independent Palestinian state. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, of the ruling Awami League, has slammed Israel over what she has alleged is genocide committed by its government.