Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus faces protests in New York over attacks on Hindus

A large number of Bangladeshi diaspora members demonstrated outside the hotel where Bangladeshi interim government chief Muhammad Yunus is currently staying in New York over the recent attacks on Hindu minority in the South Asian country following the fall of the former PM Sheikh Hasina-led government in August.

Yunus is currently visiting the USA to attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

Several videos are currently circulating on social media where the protesters can be seen heard raising ‘go back’ slogans during their demonstration.

One of the demonstrators said Yunus ‘unconstitutionally’ came to power in the country.

The protester told ANI news agency: “Muhammad Yunus took the power unconstitutionally, illegally.”

“He captured power with dirty politics, and a lot of people have been killed,” he said.

He said Sheikh Hasina still remained the PM of Bangladesh as she did not resign following her government’s fall on August 5.

“So far, our elected PM, Sheikh Hasina, has not resigned. We humbly request the UN that he did not represent Bangladeshi people here,” he said.

Another protester told ANI: “I am here to protest the illegal, unelected person representing 117 million people of Bangladesh.”

Amid widespread protests against her government which turned into a massive movement, Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5, leading to the fall of her government.

She came to power in Bangladesh after winning the general polls in January.

The protests in Bangladesh initially began against a job quota row but it soon escalated into a violent mass movement against Hasina’s regime.

Following the fall of the government, Bangladeshi newspapers and social media platforms claim several Hindu houses were attacked by radicals.

Yunus took charge as the head of the interim government on August 8.