Dr Muhammad Yunus Faces Protest at New York’s JFK Airport; Awami League Supporters Accused
Expatriate leaders allegedly directed hostile remarks at Yunus as security personnel escorted him away from the scene.
NEW YORK, October 13: Dr Muhammad Yunus, former chief adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, reportedly faced a hostile reception at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York on Monday, October 12. Expatriate activists allegedly affiliated with the banned Awami League and its youth wing, Jubo League, were accused of directing provocative remarks and slogans at him.
According to accounts from people present at the airport, Yunus arrived in New York from Doha on a Qatar Airways flight. As he was leaving through Terminal 8, several Bangladeshi expatriates reportedly confronted him with hostile comments.
Video of Incident Circulates Online
A video circulating on social media appears to show individuals shouting phrases including “You are a terrorist,” “You killed Bangladeshis,” and “Go back” at Yunus as he was being taken out of the airport in a wheelchair.
Security personnel subsequently escorted him away from the area. Yunus and Lamia Morshed, who was accompanying him, reportedly moved quickly back inside the airport amid the commotion, according to people present at the scene.
Expatriate Political Figures Allegedly Present
Sources claim that several expatriate political figures were among those present during the incident. They reportedly included Imdad Chowdhury, general secretary of the New York Metropolitan Awami League; Mizan Chowdhury, general secretary of the US Jubo League; Sakhawat Hossain Chanchal, vice-president of the New York Metropolitan Awami League; Tanvir Kaiser, general secretary of the Jackson Heights Awami League; and Jubo League leader Sagar.
The incident has drawn attention on social media, with the circulating footage prompting discussion among members of the Bangladeshi expatriate community.
However, the allegations, the identities of those involved and the full circumstances surrounding the incident require independent verification. Official statements from the individuals named and the relevant authorities were not included in the information available for this report.
