NCP Demands Dismissal of All New York Consulate Staff Following Attack on Akhter

The National Citizen Party (NCP) Diaspora Alliance has strongly condemned the attacks on political leaders accompanying Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during his official visit to the United States, calling for the dismissal of all staff at the Bangladesh Consulate General in New York.

The group accused consulate officials of “neglect of duty” after supporters of the Awami League allegedly harassed members of Yunus’s delegation at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday, according to bdnews24.com.

Six politicians, including NCP leaders Akhter Hossen and Tasnim Jara, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and Jamaat-e-Islami Deputy Chief Abdullah Mohammad Taher, are accompanying the Chief Adviser to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

After landing at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York shortly after 3:00 pm local time, Yunus and his entourage safely reached their hotel under diplomatic protocol.

However, his political companions were not provided with protocol and had to make their own way to their destination like ordinary passengers. They were soon confronted by Awami League loyalists outside Terminal 4, who shouted slogans labeling Yunus as the “leader of Jamaat-Shibir.” As Mirza Fakhrul and Humayun Kabir walked together toward the parking area, the supporters branded them “enemies of Bangladesh” and blamed them for “killings, arson attacks, and looting.”

Following them were Akhter Hossen and Tasnim Jara, who appeared visibly uneasy amid the hostility. The pair were stopped several times and verbally abused. Eggs were thrown, some striking Akhter on the back and breaking.

Activists of the Awami League, whose activities are banned in Bangladesh, surrounded the group and shouted insults, calling them “militants, terrorists, and offspring of 1971 war collaborators.”

In a statement, the NCP Diaspora said:

"We are expressing our deep concern and anger that Bangladeshi Awami League-affiliated miscreants have carried out a reprehensible attack on Akhter Hossen and Tasnim Jara, who are on an official visit to the United States with Muhammad Yunus. This incident is not only an expression of political violence but also an example of the extreme failure of the state's diplomatic integrity and security system. We question the justification for the existence of Bangladeshi consulates and embassies abroad if participants in an official state visit cannot receive a minimum level of security."

The NCP raised three demands in response to the incident:

1. The Bangladesh government must file a direct complaint with the US federal government and the authorities and law-enforcing agencies of New York City.

2. The entire foreign service team, including the staff of the Bangladesh Consulate General in New York, must be immediately dismissed.

3. The highest level of security must be ensured for all visiting leaders for the remainder of the trip.

Later, Tasnim Jara wrote on Facebook:

"After arriving in the United States today, our party's Member Secretary Akhter Hossen was attacked. Eggs were thrown at him, and he was verbally abused. This was not an attack on Akhter Hossen as a person, but because of his political identity, as he represents the party that constantly works to dismantle fascist structures. This attack clearly shows the deep fear and frustration of the defeated forces. I am certain this will not weaken Akhter Hossen one iota, but will only strengthen his resolve."