Harassment of Yunus in US ‘Awami League terror’: Zahed

The government views the harassment of former interim government chief adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus in the United States as “Awami terror” and will take necessary action, Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman has said.

Citing earlier incidents, Zahed said, “During the tenure of the interim government, various individuals associated with the [July] movement also faced such situations.”

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“The government views these incidents as Awami League terror,” he said at the weekly press briefing on government activities at the Secretariat today.

“If anyone from the Awami League abroad attempts to take such steps, it will not go unchallenged,” he added.

Zahed, who holds the status of a state minister, said Yunus is currently in the US, where an attempt was made to harass him at an airport. He suggested the incident could be linked to Yunus taking charge of the country after Sheikh Hasina fled.

He said Yunus’s actions as head of the interim government could be subject to legitimate criticism, but such harassment was unacceptable. He added that the government would examine whether there had been any lapse in arrangements related to Yunus’s VVIP status as a former chief adviser.

“Of course, legal proceedings will be initiated against those committing this offence. I am aware of the legal process that began after our actress was harassed. The same will happen in this case,” he said, referring to actress Azmeri Haque Badhan, who was allegedly harassed in Italy last month.

A video circulating on social media shows a group of Bangladeshi expatriates confronting Yunus at the airport while he was in a wheelchair. Several people are heard hurling abusive remarks at him. Yunus and his associates later moved back inside the airport, and security personnel escorted him away from the crowd.

Citing earlier incidents, Zahed said individuals associated with the July movement had also faced similar situations during the tenure of the interim government.

“I want to tell the Awami League members living in different countries that if they attempt such actions, they will not go unchallenged. There is no question of that,” he added.

Zahed said Yunus’s actions as head of the interim government could be subject to legitimate criticism, but harassment was unacceptable.

As of filing this report, Prof Yunus or his representatives had not issued any public statement on the incident. No public statement from the US administration had been reported either.

Yunus was scheduled to attend the three-day World Health Summit in Berlin from October 11 to 13 but cancelled his visit at the last minute.

Meanwhile, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam condemned the incident, blaming Awami League supporters for the alleged harassment.

In a post on his verified Facebook profile this noon, Nahid said the incident demonstrated what he described as the Awami League’s continued reliance on violence and intimidation.

He urged the authorities to dismantle a “network” of violent activists operating at home and abroad.

Nahid also demanded swift trials of those responsible for killings during the July 2024 uprising, as well as enforced disappearances and murders under the previous Awami League government.

He called for the prompt implementation of verdicts and for the Awami League to face trial as a party over its alleged involvement in mass killings and violence.

Responding to a question, Zahed said media outlets were free to interpret events from their own perspectives, but anyone crossing legal boundaries could face legal action. He added that initiatives were underway to strengthen the Press Council, including amendments to the Press Council law, to address unethical journalism.