Noman Sabit: The chief advisor of the interim government Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus is coming to New York on September 22 to attend the 79th General Session of the United Nations. He will address the United Nations on September 27. Tensions have already started in various groups of New York with the civil reception of Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Meetings and press conferences are held almost every day. Various organizations in New York have expressed interest in giving the Chief advisor a civic reception, but none have been granted permission. A source from the Bangladesh Embassy said that he will be officially granted civic reception on the evening of September 26.
On the evening of September 26 in the ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel adjacent to Times Square in Manhattan, the official even though arrangements have been made to organize the civil reception of Chief advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Various conflicts have started between various Bangladeshi organizations in the diaspora. Various quarters, including the pro-BNP ground boil civic society and the Bangladesh Society run by Jamaat-BNP and Awami League leaders, have become desperate. In the meantime, the United States Awami League, known as the September League, has announced the protest program.
The source said that on the evening of September 26 in the ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel adjacent to Times Square in Manhattan, the chief advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus’ civil reception decision to host the reception has been finalised. The event will be organized by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations and the Bangladesh Consul General in New York. However, although various organizations in New York have expressed interest in providing a civic reception to the chief advisor, no permission has been given to anyone.
BNP-Jamaat and Awami League leaders and activists Bangladesh Society organized on Saturday evening (September 7) in a press conference held at its own building in Elmhurst, the city claimed Dr. Yunus is a globally respected and impartial person. Therefore, Bangladesh society deserves to welcome him on behalf of expatriates.
In a press conference, the president of the society, Mohammad Abdur Rob Mia, said in a written statement that the head of the government of Bangladesh attends the United Nations General Session every year in September. In other years, when there was a political government, during the visit of the head of the government to the United States, all the arrangements related to their visit were made through the respective parties. Even receptions are organized as parties. In this, a large number of ordinary expatriates never get a chance to voice their demands in front of the head of government. As expatriate leaders and activists of political parties are busy implementing their political agenda, the head of government can not know the common problems and possibilities of expatriates, as a result, they have not been resolved for years. General Secretary of Bangladesh Society Ruhul Amin Siddiqui, former Acting President of the Society Abdur Rahim Howladar, Joint General Secretary Aminul Islam Chowdhury, Treasurer Naushad Hossain and Publicity and Public Relations Secretary Riju Mohammad were present on the occasion.
On the same day, the pro-BNP pro-ground boil expatriate civil society organized a discussion meeting regarding the civic reception of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. Speakers in the meeting said that the Bangladesh Mission and Consulate General Office appointed to the United Nations was the Awami League’s party office. They can sabotage Dr. Yunus in the name of civic reception. Dr. Yunus can be exposed to embarrassing situations.
Dr. Shaukat Ali said, we have preparations. The hall is booked. But it remains to be seen how the Office of the Chief Adviser wishes. We are in touch. I can reach a decision in two days.
On the other hand, Awami League, famous for the September League, announced a protest program during Yunus’ visit to New York. After the fall of the Awami League government, the chief adviser protested the attack on the party’s leaders and activists. On the day of Yunus’ arrival in the United States, the party’s leaders and activists will hold a demonstration at JFK airport tomorrow along with the flag display. On the day of the speech of the Chief Adviser at the United Nations, they have taken permission to hold a protest rally outside.
In a statement, US Awami League President Siddiqur Rahman said, murder cases have been filed against millions of Awami League leaders and activists, including the outgoing Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, and numerous leaders and activists have been arrested every day. Bangladesh has been turned into a sanctuary of persecution. Under the interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, a deep-seated conspiracy of torture and looting of activists’ homes as well as arson and killing of religious minorities is underway in Bangladesh. Demonstrations will be held at JFK Airport and in front of the United Nations to protest these incidents and demand the withdrawal of all cases filed against Sheikh Hasina. He pointed out that permission is being sought for protests outside civic gathering places as well.
On September 27, the interim government’s chief advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus’ first address as head of government at the 79th General Session of the United Nations will highlight the leadership of the younger generation.
On the sidelines of the UN General Session, the Chief Adviser may meet with several world leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Counsel Karim Khan, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
According to diplomatic sources, the chief adviser of the interim government. Muhammad Yunus may have 20-25 entourages at the UN session. Among them there are 7 officers of the Chief Adviser’s office. During this visit, he will be accompanied by Dr. Yunus’s daughter Dina Afroz Yunus, Chief SDG Coordinator Lamia Morshed, Chief Debapriya Bhattacharya, Head of the White Paper Drafting Committee on the Current Economic Status of Bangladesh formed by the Interim Government, Drik Managing Director Shahidul Alam, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Mahfuz Alam, Private Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shabbir Ahmad. Unlike other political governments, no large delegation of Bangladesh is participating in the UN conference this time.
The 79th high-level session of the General Assembly will start from September 24 and continue till September 30.
BP/SM
