Muhammad Yunus heckled at New York airport, accused of destroying democracy in Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh interim government chief Muhammad Yunus was heckled by critics at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, where a man accused him of being a “terrorist” and destroying democracy in Bangladesh.

In a video shared on social media on October 13, a man is heard asking Yunus why he had come to the United States and blaming him for the deaths of thousands of police personnel.

Yunus, who arrived from Doha, was seen being wheeled away in a wheelchair alongside aides, including Lamia Murshed.

Yunus headed Bangladesh’s interim government from August 2024 to February 2026, following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina after mass protests.

His tenure drew criticism over attacks on religious minorities, particularly Hindus.

Rights groups and media reports documented incidents of violence against Hindus, including attacks on homes, businesses and temples following Hasina’s ouster in August 2024. Hindu communities also reported arson, vandalism and physical assaults. The interim administration said some incidents were politically motivated, while others involved communal tensions, and faced criticism over its response to attacks and concerns about minority protection.

The NCP Diaspora Alliance USA, a group affiliated with Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party, condemned the airport confrontation and alleged that Awami League supporters had confronted Yunus. The group also cited a United Nations estimate that up to 1,400 people were killed during the July 2024 uprising, most of them shot by security forces.

The alliance referred to a September 2025 incident in which Awami League supporters threw eggs at members of Yunus’s entourage outside the same airport. It called on authorities to take note of the confrontation.

The man’s accusations at the airport, including his claims about deaths among police personnel, have not been independently established.