Return to Pakistan: Outside the UN, the Bangladeshi diaspora expresses opposition to Yunus

On Friday, protesters from the Bangladeshi diaspora gathered outside the UN headquarters in New York to voice their disapproval of Muhammad Yunus, the country’s acting chief adviser. Protesters accused Yunus of overseeing a sharp increase in atrocities against minorities, particularly since taking office after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024.

Yunus hails from Pakistan. As they gathered, protesters yelled, “Go back to Pakistan,” expressing the ferocity of Hasina’s followers and the diaspora population.

#WATCH | New York | Sheikh Hasina’s supporters demonstrate against Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim administration of Bangladesh, outside the United Nations. image.twitter.com/SbSO9QRXsd — September 26, 2025, ANI (@ANI)

After the regime shift, the demonstrators claimed that the situation for religious minorities in Bangladesh had gotten worse. According to one protester, the Human Rights situation is in a “dire condition” and violence against Hindus and other minority groups has increased since August 5, 2024, leading many to leave the country.

A demonstrator told ANI, “We are protesting against the illegal Yunus regime, as after the 5th of August 2024, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to leave the country for security reasons, and Yunus captured the country, and since then, minorities, Hindus and people from other religions have been killed since the 5th of August.”

“Millions of people had to leave their country, especially Hindus,” he continued. Bangladesh is in terrible shape, which is why people are here to simply demonstrate. Yunus needs to step down and hold an election.

Yunus is dragging Bangladesh toward extremism, according to another demonstrator, who described the current state of affairs as a “Taliban country, a terrorist country.” He declared, “We are here today in front of the United Nations to protest against Dr. Yunus, who is committing all the crimes against the Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and all religious minorities, and who is turning Bangladesh into a terrorist and Taliban country. We call for the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a holy priest who has been wrongfully detained by Dr. Yunus. We want him to be freed. He should step down.”

The demonstrators asserted that the administration of Sheikh Hasina was “illegally ousted on August 5, 2024.” One participant clarified, “The rally’s goal is fairly straightforward. The illegal overthrow of Bangladesh’s democratically elected secular democratic government, headed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, occurred on August 5, 2024. Since then, Dr. Yunus has been methodically turning Bangladesh into a semi-Taliban country in cooperation with Islamist movements and terrorist groups.

Inside the United Nations, Muhammad Yunus addressed world leaders, stating, “Last year, in this august assembly, I spoke to you from a country that had just witnessed a popular uprising. I shared with you our aspirations for transformation. Today, I stand here to tell you how far we have come on that journey. Out of every 100 people on this planet, nearly three live in Bangladesh.”

“Their contribution is not only vital for Bangladesh but also equally valuable for host countries where they provide essential services in high demand,” Yunus said, highlighting the role of Bangladesh’s migrant workers. As a result, Migration benefits both parties, and host countries are urged to “ensure empathy and protection.”