New York, May 19 – Bangladeshi expatriates staged a protest rally in front of the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, condemning the decision to ban all activities of the Bangladesh Awami League—a historic political party that led the country’s independence movement. The demonstration took place on Monday, May 19, at the corner of 47th Street and 1st Avenue.
The protest, organized by the United States Awami League, Awami Family, allied organizations, and various social, cultural, and human rights groups from the diaspora, was held in response to the announcement banning the Awami League’s operations, including access to St. Martin’s Island, ports, and corridors.
The event was presided over by Dr. Pradip Ranjan Kar, a former General Secretary of BUCSU and a veteran freedom fighter, and moderated by Organizational Secretary Abul Hasib Mamun. Notable speakers included founding General Secretary of the US Awami League and mainstream politician MA Salam, US Awami League President Dr. Siddiqur Rahman, senior journalist and advisor Hakikul Islam Khokon, advisors Ramesh Nath and Mohiuddin Dewan, legal affairs secretary Advocate Shah Md. Bakhtiar Ali, education secretary MA Karim Jahangir, Sheikh Kamal Parishad President Dr. Masudul Hasan, and many other prominent leaders from various states and cities.
Speakers at the rally strongly criticized what they called the “illegal and unconstitutional fascist Yunus regime” for its announcement banning the Awami League’s activities. They warned that banning the Awami League will not silence it, but rather make it “twice as powerful,” citing historical resilience.
They expressed outrage and disbelief, stating that such a decision marks a “dark day” in Bangladesh’s history. “The party that led Bangladesh to independence has now been banned in its own country by an unelected, authoritarian government,” one speaker declared.
The protestors alleged that the government led by former NGO official Dr. Muhammad Yunus seeks to turn Bangladesh into a fertile ground for anti-liberation forces and extremists. They viewed the ban as a direct attack on the spirit and values of the Liberation War, claiming it legitimizes regressive forces.
The rally also addressed the recent declaration of Dr. Yunus and Asif Nazrul as “persona non grata” in the UK, calling it a reaction to their divisive roles. Speakers accused Yunus of orchestrating political drama to serve his personal vendettas. They warned that such fascist behavior mirrors historical precedents of authoritarianism, drawing comparisons to Nazi Germany.
Leaders claimed the government’s actions are not backed by legal reasoning and represent Yunus’s personal grievances rather than state policy. “If a government run by former NGO officials and pro-government student leaders, supported by opportunistic religious factions, dares to ban the country’s oldest political party, it signals the rise of a new extremist fascism in Bangladesh,” they warned.
Participants concluded by rejecting the government’s decision with “utter contempt” and vowed to continue fighting for democratic values and the ideals of the Liberation War.