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BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has strongly condemned the alleged harassment of former interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York.
In a statement issued on Wednesday (October 14), Rizvi accused people allegedly linked to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina of attempting to harass Yunus at the airport.
“The attempt to harass Dr Muhammad Yunus at JFK airport by some henchmen unleashed by fascist Hasina is part of the continuing activities of the ousted fascists, who fled Bangladesh without showing any remorse and have continued their anti-national activities,” he said.
Rizvi said the alleged misconduct towards Yunus reflected the vindictive mindset of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
He described the incident as an expression of the vindictive and violent politics of leaders and activists of the ousted Awami League, saying it had also tarnished Bangladesh’s image internationally.
Rizvi alleged that Yunus was targeted because he had led the interim government formed after the mass uprising by students and the public in July-August 2024.
He said Yunus was not only the former chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government but also a Nobel laureate and a globally respected personality.
“The misconduct towards Professor Yunus at JFK airport has not only disrespected him but also humiliated Bangladesh in the eyes of the world,” Rizvi said.
The BNP leader further alleged that enforced disappearances, killings and clandestine murders had characterised the Awami League’s rule, and that people involved in supporting the former government’s alleged abuses had spread across different places at home and abroad.
He accused those individuals of behaving discourteously towards Yunus on foreign soil.
Rizvi said the incident had reinforced the perception among Bangladeshis that the ousted Awami League’s alleged vindictive and violent political culture had persisted even two years after its removal from power.