Protests in New York During Chief Adviser’s Visit ‘Impossible to Stop’

Noman Sabit: Tensions are running high among BNP and Awami League activists in New York ahead of the arrival of interim government Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who will attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Both parties have already announced rival programs. Foreign Affairs Adviser M. Touhid Hossain has stated that there is no way to stop protests by the Awami League or any other party in New York.

Professor Yunus will arrive at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday night (September 22) to join the UN session. He will leave Dhaka for New York on Sunday night.

The U.S. chapter of BNP has announced a 'celebration rally,' while the Awami League has declared protest demonstrations marking Yunus’s visit.

Announcing their protest program, Awami League leaders said that Professor Yunus, whom they labeled a 'killer–fascist chief adviser,' has been declared unwelcome by the party in the United States. They said, 'An illegitimate government has no right to participate in the UN General Assembly. Wherever the killer–fascist Yunus goes, the U.S. Awami League will be there.'

In response, BNP leaders in the U.S. announced that they will hold 'peace rallies' at JFK Airport and near Yunus’s residence to counter the Awami League protests. A BNP source said they will remain cautious to prevent any untoward incidents.

According to Senior Assistant Press Secretary Fayez Ahmad, Yunus will arrive in New York on September 22 and deliver his speech at the General Assembly on September 26. He is expected to return to Bangladesh on October 2.

Accompanying the Chief Adviser on the trip will be BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, National Citizens Party (NCP) convener Akhtar Hossain, and Tareq Rahman’s foreign affairs adviser Humayun Kabir.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain earlier told reporters that Yunus would highlight before world leaders the reforms carried out in the past year and the government’s pledge to establish a truly democratic system through the upcoming national elections.

He will also participate in a high-level meeting on September 30 titled “High Level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar,” chaired by the UNGA president.

Touhid Hossain noted that protests cannot be prevented in New York. 'In Western countries, neither we nor anyone else can stop protests, slogans, marches, or demonstrations. Governments there are bound to allow them. What matters is ensuring the security of the delegation team. Personally, I don’t foresee major concerns. The NYPD is highly experienced in handling such situations.'

He added: 'There will be protests—that I take for granted. Because neither we nor they have the means to stop it.'

What Happened at JFK Last Year

On September 23, 2024, both the BNP and Awami League organized demonstrations at JFK International Airport in New York ahead of the Chief Adviser’s arrival.

A Qatar Airways commercial flight carrying Yunus and his delegation landed at JFK at 10:10 p.m. local time. Even before the plane landed at Terminal 8, the area was filled with slogans both in favor and against him.

BNP leaders and activists, along with various affiliated organizations, had gathered in the evening to welcome Yunus with slogans and chants, while on the other side, the Awami League and its affiliates staged protests and demonstrations.

After being received at the airport by Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN Muhammad Abdul Muhith and Acting Ambassador to the U.S. D.M. Salauddin Mahmud, Professor Yunus was escorted in a motorcade to a Manhattan hotel.