Twelve prominent individuals have expressed severe condemnation over online propaganda, harassment, and personal threats against Nobel laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, former Chief Advisor to the interim government. Calling for an immediate end to such activities, they stated that the commitment to change initiated by the aspirations of the July Mass Uprising cannot be thwarted through intimidation, disinformation, and personal threats.
In a statement, they expressed deep anger over the continuous harassment, social media smear campaigns, and politically motivated attacks targeted at Dr. Yunus.
The statement was issued following an incident where Dr. Yunus was harassed at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York, USA, at around 4:00 PM local time on Monday. While he was walking through the airport lobby, several individuals belonging to the banned political party Awami League hurled abuses and shouted at him.
The statement noted that at a time when the country was facing an extreme crisis, the interim government led by Professor Yunus attempted to fulfill the arduous responsibility of rebuilding a state severely damaged by years of economic plundering, the collapse of democratic institutions, corruption, authoritarian rule, and human rights violations. They claimed that the government put an end to serious criminal practices such as enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
It further stated that the interim government handed over power to an elected government through a free and fair general election in February 2026. Through this, it was expected that the rebuilding of democratic institutions, ensuring justice for the victims of the autocratic regime, and maintaining the continuity of human rights protection would be sustained.
However, the statement alleged that certain individuals engaged in political mischief and vested interest groups are currently spreading malicious and misleading information against Dr. Yunus, as well as issuing physical threats to him. According to the signatories, the objective of such actions is to create instability and undermine the acceptability and credibility of the interim government.
They made it clear that intimidation, lies, online harassment, or personal threats—none of these will divert them from their commitment to change. The statement also mentioned that the historical mandate for reform and dignity achieved by the people of Bangladesh through the immense sacrifices of the youth cannot be erased by smear campaigns or the efforts of supporters of the ousted autocratic regime.
The signatories to the statement include economists Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed and Dr. M Fouzul Kabir Khan, academician C. R. Abrar, Professor of the Department of Law at Dhaka University Dr. Asif Nazrul, senior Supreme Court advocate Adilur Rahman Khan, retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, retired Brigadier General Sakhawat Hossain, and Faruk-e-Azam (Bir Protik).
Additionally, Farida Akhter, Executive Director of UBINIG; Sharmeen Murshid, sociologist and founder-CEO of Brotee; film director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki; and Supreme Court lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan signed the statement.