Bangladeshi Diaspora Raises ‘Go Back To Pakistan’ Slogans Against Muhammad Yunus Outside UN Headquarters In New York

Members of the Bangladeshi diaspora staged a demonstration outside the United Nations headquarters on Friday (26 September), voicing strong opposition to Muhammad Yunus, the interim Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, India Today reported.

Protesters accused Yunus of presiding over worsening human rights conditions, particularly targeting religious minorities, following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

The demonstrators carried placards and chanted slogans, including “Yunus is Pakistani. Go back to Pakistan,” underscoring the anger and resentment among Hasina’s supporters abroad.

Many participants alleged that violence against Hindus and other minority groups had escalated since Yunus assumed office, forcing families to flee the country.

One protester told news agency ANI that “millions of people had to leave their country, especially Hindus," adding that it's a "dire condition in Bangladesh", and asked Yunus to step down and call for elections.

Another protester alleged that Yunus is pushing Bangladesh towards extremism, calling the current situation a "Taliban country, a terrorist country."

He said, "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."

Another participant alleged that Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave Bangladesh for her safety on 5 August 2024, after which Yunus “captured the country” with the support of Islamist groups.

Some protesters drew comparisons with Afghanistan, warning that Yunus was “pushing Bangladesh towards extremism” and “making Bangladesh a Taliban country, a terrorist country.” They demanded the immediate release of religious leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, who they allege has been unlawfully detained under Yunus’s authority.

Organizers of the rally described their purpose as opposing what they called the “illegal ouster” of Hasina’s government.

“The democratically elected secular democratic government of Bangladesh, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was illegally ousted on August 5, 2024,” one protester stated, accusing Yunus of “systematically transforming Bangladesh into a semi-Taliban nation.”

The protest highlighted growing tensions within the Bangladeshi diaspora over the country’s political crisis, with demonstrators urging the international community to take notice of the alleged rights violations under the current interim administration.

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