Former interim Bangladesh government chief Muhammad Yunus recently faced a heated confrontation with a group of Bangladeshi expatriates at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The incident, which occurred on Monday as Yunus was being escorted out of Terminal 8 after arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha, saw him being shouted at, accused of killings, and branded a “terrorist.”
A video circulating widely on social media captured the scene, showing individuals shouting at Yunus as he was moved in a wheelchair. Some of the expatriates demanded he “go back” and questioned his presence, with one man heard yelling, “You are a terrorist. You have killed people in Bangladesh. Why have you come here?”
Following the incident, Zahed Ur Rahman, the Information and Communications Adviser to the Bangladesh Prime Minister, stated on Tuesday that Dhaka intends to pursue legal action against those who confronted Yunus.
Security personnel ultimately escorted Yunus away from the agitated crowd. According to reports from the Dhaka-based Daily Sun, Yunus and an aide, Lamia Morshed, briefly retreated back inside the airport during the confrontation. There has been no immediate comment from Yunus or his representatives regarding the incident or the serious allegations made against him.
Allegations and Political Context
The confrontation at JFK comes amidst significant criticism directed at Yunus over his tenure as interim government chief. Allegations include a breakdown in law and order, political violence, and numerous killings during the period he led the administration.
The interim administration, which took power following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, faced widespread criticism for its perceived failure to contain violence and maintain stability. Political opponents, including the Awami League, alleged that their members and affiliates were specifically targeted in violent incidents.
Concerns over human rights during this interim period were also prominent, encompassing reported attacks on Hindu communities and places of worship, as well as allegations of arbitrary arrests and custodial deaths. Questions were also raised about the treatment of political supporters.
In January 2026, an ordinance passed under Yunus’s administration reportedly barred police and other law enforcement agencies from conducting routine criminal investigations into actions by participants of the July-August 2024 uprising. Instead, allegations of killings, including those potentially involving police personnel, were referred to the National Human Rights Commission.
Yunus’s leadership also coincided with a reported deterioration in India-Bangladesh relations. His remarks in China in March 2025 concerning India’s northeastern states, alongside public disagreements over minority safety, drew considerable criticism from India.