By Anjali Sharma
NEW YORK – Members of the Bangladeshi diaspora on Friday staged a protest outside the UN headquarters in New York against Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, alleged a sharp increase in atrocities against minorities in the country.
Members of the Bangladeshi diaspora staged a protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York against Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, alleged a sharp increase in atrocities against minorities Hindu and other groups in the country
Some protestors chanted slogans such as “Yunus is Pakistani. Go back to Pakistan.”
The protester highlighted that there is a “dire condition” in Bangladesh, and since Yunus assumed power, minorities, including Hindus and people of other religions, have faced killings, and millions have fled the country.
“We are protesting against the illegal Yunus regime, as after the 5th of August 2024, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to leave the country for security reasons, and Yunus captured the country, and since then, minorities, Hindus and people from other religions have been killed since the 5th of August,” he said.
“Millions of people had to leave their country, especially Hindus…It’s a dire condition in Bangladesh, and this is the reason people are here to just protest, and Yunus has to leave the power and should go for an election,” he added.
Another protestor stated that Yunus is making Bangladesh a “Taliban country, a terrorist country.”
“We are here today in front of the United Nations to protest against Dr Yunus, who is making Bangladesh a Taliban country, a terrorist country, and he is committing all the atrocities against the Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and all religious minorities…We demand the release of the religious priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, whom Dr Yunus has unlawfully kept in jail. We demand his release…He should step down,” he said.
Adding on to the claims, the protester argues that Sheikh Hasina, who led a democratically elected secular government, was “illegally ousted on August 5, 2024.”
“The purpose of the rally is very simple. The democratically elected secular democratic government of Bangladesh, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was illegally ousted on August 5, 2024… Since then, in collusion with the Islamist forces, terrorist organisations, Dr Yunus is transforming Bangladesh systematically into a semi-Taliban nation,” he said.
Yunus addressed the fourth day of the 80th United Nations General Assembly on Friday, marked his second speech at the world body since the Gen Z-led uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule last year.
He reflected on Bangladesh’s political transformation, Yunus told delegates, “Last year, in this august assembly, I spoke to you from a country that had just witnessed a popular uprising. I shared with you our aspirations for transformation. Today, I stand here to tell you how far we have come on that journey. Out of every 100 people on this planet, nearly three live in Bangladesh.”
On economy, Yunus highlighted the role of migrant workers.
According to the International Organization for Migration, 7.1 million Bangladeshis live abroad, contributing about USD 18 billion in remittances in 2019.
“Their contribution is not only vital for Bangladesh, but it is equally valuable for host countries where they provide essential services in high demand. Migration is therefore mutually beneficial: good for us, good for them,” he said.
He urged host nations to “ensure empathy and protection.”
