Protests erupt outside UN headquarters as Muhammad Yunus addresses UNGA

Demonstrations erupted outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York as Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor, addressed the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Protesters gathered outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York, chanting slogans and expressing strong opposition to Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor.

Slogans of “terrorist, minority killer, Hindu killer Yunus, go back, step down” were raised outside UN headquarters in New York.

During the demonstration, a protestor said that Yunus has no right to speak on behalf of Bangladesh. He said, “We have gathered here. A person who is not elected is unlawfully presenting a constitutionally run country, Bangladesh. He (Yunus) has no right to speak on behalf of the 170 million people of Bangladesh.”

The protestor added, “Dr Yunus is representing Bangladesh at the United Nations. 50 years ago at the same location, the father of the nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, addressed the world in Bengali and today, Dr Yunus delivered his lecture in English…”

Notably, atrocities on Bangladeshi minorities, including Hindus, came to light after ex-PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster.

Sloganeers also chanted, “Go back, step down, step down, step down” and held up posters that said, “Shiekh Hasina Our Prime Minister.”

Notably, while addressing the UNGA on Friday, Yunus hailed his countrymen for the massive anti-government protests that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, and said that the generation Z made the country revisit the values it was born out of in 1971.

Yunus affirmed hope that the collective resolve should define the “Bangladesh of the future.”

“I stand in this parliament of nations, thanks to a transformation that Bangladesh witnessed this July and August. The power of the ordinary people, particularly our youth, presented to our nation an opportunity to overhaul many of our systems and institutions,” Yunus said at the 79th session of the UNGA.

“The uprising led by the students was initially aimed at ending discrimination. Progressively, the movement evolved into a people’s movement. The world eventually saw how people stood against autocracy, oppression, discrimination, injustice and corruption, both on the streets and online,” he added.

Notably, Bangladesh witnessed Sheikh Hasina’s ouster amid students’ protests turned into a massive anti-government movement, followed by the establishment of an interim government.

During this turbulent period, several incidents of violence and chaos, particularly targeting minorities, including Hindus, have been reported from Bangladesh.

Yunus was sworn in on August 8 as the head of an interim government after Sheikh Hasina fled the country and the parliament was dissolved.