Dhaka - Several Islamist parties in Muslim-dominated Bangladesh staged demonstration Friday protesting the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, with rights groups calling for an end to Israel's "crime against humanity."

"We believe the atrocities in Gaza clearly constitute a crime against humanity by the Israeli state," read a statement issued by Odhikar, a Bangladeshi coalition of human rights groups. It expressed deep concern over continued attacks by the Israeli military that have killed more than 1,100 people, many of them civilian women and children.

The coalition called for the Bangladeshi government to apply diplomatic pressure on Israel to force it to immediately agree to an unconditional ceasefire and withdraw its forces from Palestine.

The group also requested United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki- Moon to deploy a high-level commission to investigate what it calls gross violations of human rights currently being perpetrated in Gaza.

Several hundred member of Islamist parties paraded through the streets of Dhaka, chanting slogans against Israel and the United States, charging them with attacking Muslims in the Middle East.

In separate rallies after the marches, Islamist leaders called upon Muslims across the world to unite to protest atrocities on the Muslim population.

Karamajibi Nari, a non-governmental organization of working women, formed a human chain in the city, demanding an immediate end to the killing of the innocent women and children in the Gaza Strip. They also denounced the "imperialist" United States.

The Palestinian envoy to Dhaka, Shaher Mohammad, called upon the Bangladeshi people to stand by the people of Palestine.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday expressed deep concern over the Gaza situation and asked Israel to stop the killing of innocent people. (dpa)