Mohammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, faced public humiliation during his visit to New York, where he was attending the UN General Assembly. Upon his arrival, Yunus and his team were targeted with eggs. Furthermore, Muslim countries have seemingly distanced themselves from Bangladesh. Over the past three days, Yunus has been unable to secure meetings with any major world leaders.
Yunus assumed leadership of Bangladesh following the departure of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. He arrived at the UN General Assembly as the representative of Bangladesh, accompanied by a delegation of Bangladeshi politicians.
On the first day of his visit, Yunus and his team were confronted with eggs thrown by supporters of Sheikh Hasina. Yunus’s vehicle was also stopped. Law enforcement did not take strong action, and those arrested were released within 24 hours.
This is the first time Yunus has faced such a public protest in the United States, especially significant because it occurred in New York, where leaders from 193 countries were gathering for the UN meeting.
Despite being the acting head of Bangladesh, Yunus has not met with any significant leaders in the past three days. His meetings have been limited to minor officials and figures. He has, however, met with the Mayor of Paris and the American Ambassador. In contrast, Pakistan’s Prime Minister has met with leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Turkey. Shehbaz Sharif also met with Donald Trump.
The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has not commented on why Yunus is not holding bilateral talks with major leaders.
In New York, Muslim leaders held two significant meetings. One focused on Gaza, and the other on Kashmir. The Gaza meeting included Muslim countries from the Middle East and Pakistan. The Kashmir meeting involved leaders from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Niger, and Azerbaijan.
Bangladesh was not invited to either meeting. Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country. Since Sheikh Hasina’s departure, Yunus’s leanings appear to be toward Pakistan.