Muhammad Yunus Heckled, Called "Terrorist" By Critics At New York Airport

Muhammad Yunus, who headed Bangladesh's Interim Government between August 2024 and February 2026, was heckled by critics at New York's John F Kennedy Airport who labelled him a "terrorist" and accused him of destroying democracy in Bangladesh.

In a widely shared video on social media, a man is heard telling Yunus, "You terrorist, why did you come here?"

"Tell us why did you come to this country. You killed thousands of policemen in my country. He destroyed democracy in my country," the man believed to be an expatriate Bangladeshi was heard telling bystanders at the airport as Yunus was hurriedly wheeled away in a wheelchair.

Former Bangladesh Interim Leader Muhammad Yunus heckled in an undated video at a United States airport. “Terrorist, Why Did You Come Here?” #Karma https://t.co/5D7rJyPZPW

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) October 13, 2026

Yunus was seen at New York's JFK airport accompanied by his top aides, including Lamia Murshed.

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While critics of Yunus have held him responsible for allowing fundamentalist mobs to target minorities and several renowned institutions, Yunus's government had simply labelled them "law and order" incidents and denied the targeted harassment of minorities, especially Hindus in Bangladesh after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024 following violent protests in the country.

Attacks on minorities in Bangladesh had seen a sharp rise as the interim government led by Yunus had released terrorists from jail and emboldened radicals within the country. During Yunus's regime, several Hindus were killed, and a Hindu monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das, has been incarcerated for months on flimsy, trumped-up charges for raising his voice and calling for solidarity among Hindus.

A Hindu minority man who worked at a garment factory, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched and burned by a mob after being accused of blasphemy. He was dragged from his workplace, beaten and dragged through the streets for more than a kilometre, after which he was tied to a tree on a busy highway and set on fire in front of several spectators.

The incident sparked outrage across the world and led to serious questions about the safety of minorities in the country. 

Supporters of Yunus have come out in his support following the incident and blamed the Hasina-led Awami League for the act.

NCP Diaspora Alliance USA, a support group affiliated with the National Citizen's Party in Bangladesh that came into being during the Yunus regime and is known for several radical statements and anti-India comments by its leaders, condemned the 'harassment' in a statement on social media platform X. 

NCP Diaspora Alliance USA strongly condemns the harassment of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Nobel laureate and former Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, at JFK Airport on Monday. According to reports from New York, activists of the banned Awami League confronted him on his arrival from Doha. A video shows a man accusing him of killing thousands of children and police officers and of destroying democracy. The UN has said as many as 1,400 people may have been killed in the July 2024 uprising, the vast majority shot by security forces. The party's former leader has since been convicted of crimes against humanity. This is not the first such incident. In September 2025, Awami League supporters outside the same airport threw eggs at members of his entourage, including NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain. The Awami League is banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Its supporters targeting a visiting statesman on American soil is unacceptable. We urge the authorities at JFK to take note. @Yunus_Centre @PANYNJ @NYPDnews @BDMOFA @UN_PGA #MuhammadYunus #JFK #NewYork #Bangladesh #NCPDiasporaAllianceUSA

— NCP Diaspora Alliance USA (@NCPDiasporaUSA) October 13, 2026

"According to reports from New York, activists of the banned Awami League confronted him on his arrival from Doha. A video shows a man accusing him of killing thousands of children and police officers and of destroying democracy. The UN has said as many as 1,400 people may have been killed in the July 2024 uprising, the vast majority shot by security forces. The party's former leader has since been convicted of crimes against humanity. This is not the first such incident," the NCP Diaspora alliance said in the post.

"In September 2025, Awami League supporters outside the same airport threw eggs at members of his entourage, including NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain. The Awami League is banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Its supporters targeting a visiting statesman on American soil is unacceptable. We urge the authorities at JFK to take note," the post added.