Last Updated on October 13, 2026 11:13 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain, Dhaka
Former Bangladesh interim government chief adviser and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was heckled by Bangladeshi expatriates at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport on Monday (October 12), with protesters calling him a “terrorist” and accusing him of destroying democracy. Dhaka on Tuesday condemned the incident as “Awami terrorism” and vowed legal action.
Yunus, who arrived from Doha on a Qatar Airways flight, was confronted at Terminal 8 while being escorted in a wheelchair.
Videos circulating online showed protesters shouting “You are a terrorist”, “You destroyed democracy” and “Go back”, accusing him of killings, mass arrests and the deaths of thousands of police personnel during his tenure. The allegations remain unverified.
Some questioned his visit to the US. Security personnel intervened, while witnesses said Yunus and his accompanying aide, Lamia Morshed, briefly retreated inside the airport.
According to reports, the protesters included supporters of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, whose political activities are banned in Bangladesh.
Jackson Heights Awami League general secretary Tanvir Kaisar said activists gathered under New York Metropolitan Awami League general secretary Imdad Chowdhury to question Yunus over developments in Bangladesh.
US Jubo League general secretary Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury and other activists were reportedly present. Jubo League is the youth wing of Awami League. Kaisar said the gathering was arranged at short notice after protesters learned of Yunus’s arrival.
Dhaka condemns incident: Addressing reporters in Dhaka on Tuesday (October 13), Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman described the confrontation as “Awami terrorism” and accused the party’s supporters of attempting to destabilise Bangladesh at home and abroad. “If anyone from the Awami League abroad attempts to take such steps, it will not go unchallenged,” he warned.
Zahed said Yunus was targeted for assuming responsibility for Bangladesh after Hasina fled during the August 2024 uprising.
He acknowledged that Yunus’ decisions could be criticised but said harassment was unacceptable. The government would also examine whether Yunus received appropriate security, protocol and dignity as a former chief adviser.
Referring to alleged harassment of Bangladesh’s state minister for primary and mass education and actress Azmeri Haque Badhan in Italy, Zahed said such incidents amounted to “Awami terrorism”, rather than ordinary pressure-group protests. He said legal proceedings had begun over Badhan’s harassment, with similar action planned over the Yunus incident.
Reconciliation with Awami League unlikely: On political reconciliation, Zahed said Bangladesh wanted Hasina’s return for justice, not revenge. “Those who have committed serious criminal offences must face trial for reconciliation to be possible,” he said.
Accusing the Awami League of crimes against humanity, Zahed alleged that the party had shown no remorse and continued issuing threats and inciting violence and instability.
He ruled out government-initiated reconciliation with a party allegedly promoting violence and terrorism, including through its leadership.
Zahed said any reconciliation initiative should come from the Awami League itself, but its conduct over the past two years offered little hope. He reiterated that attempts to intimidate Yunus or others associated with Bangladesh’s political transition would not go unchallenged.
Yunus has not publicly commented on the incident, while US authorities have not issued an immediate statement.