Members of the Bangladeshi diaspora staged a protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, voicing strong opposition to Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government. Demonstrators accused him of overseeing a surge in violence against minorities following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, including “Yunus is Pakistani, go back to Pakistan,” protestors claimed the situation in Bangladesh has sharply deteriorated under Yunus.
Speaking to news agency ANI, one demonstrator alleged that since Hasina fled the country last year on August 5, citing security threats, minorities including Hindus and members of other religious communities have faced killings and are in a “dire condition”.
“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.
#WATCH | New York | Supporters of Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Haseena hold protests outside the UN against current Bangladesh PM Muhammad Yunus; raise slogans, “Yunus is Pakistani. Go back to Pakistan.” pic.twitter.com/CWuVjUw1HD
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2025
Another protestor alleged that Yunus is turning Bangladesh into “a Taliban country, a terrorist country,” while demanding the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a religious priest whom Yunus is accused of unlawfully detaining.
“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.
#WATCH | New York | Supporters of Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina hold protests outside the UN against Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus. pic.twitter.com/SbSO9QRXsd
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2025
Others reiterated that Hasina’s government, described as a democratically elected secular administration, was “illegally ousted on August 5, 2024.” One protestor accused Yunus of colluding with Islamist forces and terrorist groups, adding, “Since then, in collusion with the Islamist forces, terrorist organisations, Dr Yunus is transforming Bangladesh systematically into a semi-Taliban nation.”
The demonstrations came on the same day Yunus delivered his second speech at the United Nations General Assembly since taking charge after last year’s Gen Z-led uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.
Addressing delegates, Yunus reflected on Bangladesh’s political transition: “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.”
He further highlighted economic contributions, drawing attention to the role of Bangladeshi migrant workers. According to the International Organisation 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, urging host nations to “ensure empathy and protection.”
