New York: 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, alleging a sharp increase in atrocities against minorities in the country.
Earlier, some protestors chanted slogans such as “Yunus is Pakistani. Go back to Pakistan.” Speaking to ANI, 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.
Earlier in the day, Yunus addressed the fourth day of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday, marking his second speech at the world body since the Gen Z-led uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule last year. (With inputs from ANI)
