Govt condemns harassment of Yunus in New York, vows legal action

The government has condemned the harassment of former interim government chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, saying legal action will be taken against those involved.
In a press statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a group of people suspected of having links to the banned Bangladesh Awami League were behind the incident.
“It appears that a group of perpetrators suspected to be linked with the banned political outfit, Bangladesh Awami League, were behind this harassment committed against Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, who is highly respected by the international community, in a foreign soil,” the ministry said.
The ministry said Bangladesh’s mission in New York had been asked to take up the matter with local law enforcement agencies to identify the perpetrators and pursue appropriate legal action against them.
It said those responsible should be held accountable for tarnishing the image of Bangladesh and its citizens before the international community.
Separately, Prime Minister’s Information Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman said the government would take legal action over the incident. Speaking at a press conference at the Department of Information conference room at the Secretariat on Tuesday, he described the incident as “Awami terrorism”.
Zahed said legal proceedings had begun over the alleged harassment and further action would follow. He also referred to attempts to harass the state minister for primary and mass education Bobby Hajjaj and actress Azmeri Haque Badhan.
He said the government wanted Sheikh Hasina’s return to Bangladesh to ensure justice, not revenge, adding that reconciliation would require those accused of serious criminal offences to face trial.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Bangladesh would strongly pursue the harassment of former chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus with the United States government and seek legal action against those responsible.
He said US law enforcement agencies should examine footage of the incident, identify those involved and take appropriate action.
“This kind of harassment against him or any citizen of our country is totally unacceptable. The Government of Bangladesh will take it up very strongly,” he said.
The state minister said those responsible should be held accountable.
Responding to questions about protocol arrangements for Yunus during overseas visits, Kobir noted that Prof Yunus attended private events and that arrangements could depend on whether the government had been informed of his travel and engagements.
Regardless of whether prior notification had been given, harassment of a former chief adviser could not be taken lightly, he said.
A video circulating on social media showed several people approaching Yunus, who was seated in a wheelchair inside the airport, and shouting slogans at him. 
They called him “a terrorist”, questioned why he had come to the airport and accused him of destroying democracy in Bangladesh.
Yunus was later seen moving forward with assistance from an accompanying aide.