Video | ‘You are a terrorist’: Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus heckled at New York airport; government vows legal action

Former Bangladesh interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus was heckled by a group of protesters at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, prompting the Bangladesh government to promise legal action and review the security arrangements made for him. A video circulating on social media shows Yunus, who was seated in a wheelchair, being approached by several people shouting slogans, including "you are a terrorist" and "why you come here?" The protesters also accused him of undermining democracy in Bangladesh and criticised his handling of the country during his tenure as head of the interim government.

The Tribune Business Standard reported on October 13 that the protesters continued shouting at Yunus as he was moved through the airport, accompanied by security personnel and associates. The identities and affiliations of those involved could not be independently established from the footage alone.

Muhammad Yunus (in wheelchair), accompanied his top aides, including Lamia Murshed was humiliated at the JFK Airport by members and activists of Awami League. https://t.co/bVlXEFcD1I— Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury (@salah_shoaib) October 13, 2026 Bangladesh government promises legal action The Bangladesh government reacted sharply to the incident, with Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman saying the government would take legal action over the alleged harassment.

The Dhaka Tribune reported that Zahed told reporters at a press briefing at the Secretariat on Tuesday that the government would follow the same legal process used after actress Azmeri Haque Badhon was allegedly harassed in Italy last month. I am aware of the legal process initiated after our actress Azmeri Haque Badhon was harassed.

The same will happen in his case," Zahed was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune. He further said that attempts by Awami League members living abroad to harass people would not go unchallenged. The Daily Star reported, quoting Zahed as describing the incident as "Awami League terror".

The adviser said the government viewed such incidents as unacceptable, even though Yunus's decisions as head of the interim government could be subject to legitimate political criticism. The adviser also said the Bangladesh government would examine whether there had been any lapse in the protocol and arrangements associated with Yunus's status as a former chief adviser.

The adviser also said the government would examine whether there had been any lapse in the protocol and arrangements associated with Yunus’s status as a former chief adviser. Awami League supporters accused The Bangladesh government has accused supporters of the Awami League. whose organisational activities are banned in the country, of being involved in the confrontation.

However, the allegations should be distinguished from what has been independently established about the people seen in the video. The confrontation comes amid continuing political tensions in Bangladesh following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024 and Yunus’s appointment to lead the interim administration.

The protesters’ accusations against Yunus, including claims that he undermined democracy, were made during the confrontation and have not been independently substantiated by the video.