A photograph showing Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus amidst BNP demonstrators outside a reception given to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New York has stirred a controversy.
Several internet newspapers uploaded the photograph, saying Yunus took part in the demonstration.
But the Yunus Centre issued a statement denying the reports.
The US unit of the Awami League hosted a reception for Hasina on Sunday afternoon at the Hilton Hotel in New York.
That was when supporters of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in the US were holding a demonstration under the banner of the Coalition of Bangladeshi American Association in front of the reception venue.
Eyewitnesses told bdnews24.com that foreign affairs secretary of JASAS Golam Farooq Shahin went up to Yunus as he emerged from the hotel. JASAS is a BNP affiliate.
BNP leader Selim Reza, Senior Vice-Chairrperson Tarique Rahman’s brother-in-law Sharafat Hossain Babu, and a few others, too, went up to meet him. Yunus, for his part, exchanged pleasantries with them.
JaSaS leader Shahin told Yunus Bangladesh needed a leader like him in the country’s prevailing situation.
BNP leaders claim Yunus promised to keep the suggestion in mind.
When the BNP leaders gathered round Yunus, others with posters and banners in hand joined them in order to be photographed with the Nobel laureate.
They were also heard chanting: “March ahead, Yunus, we are with you.”
The BNP leaders and supporters raised slogans denouncing the Hasina government and demanding the installation of a caretaker regime.
Journalist Monjurul Haque, who was present at the spot, told bdnews24.com: “I asked him about his participation in the demonstration. He said, ‘I had a meeting to attend; so I was passing that way’.”
The Yunus Centre, in a denial, described the news of Yunus taking part in the BNP agitation as “baseless” after a photograph showing him with BNP leaders and demostration appeared in a section of the media.
The statement read: “Professor Yunus was walking on Sept 27 on the New York streets near UN to go from one meeting to the next. On the way he passed through a crowd who were demonstrating.”
“He continued his walk to reach his destination where an audience was waiting for him to hear him speak,” it added.
The statement, posted on Yusuf’s Facebook page, invited a flurry of comments.
“Shame on you,” wrote Arifur Rahman Leon.
“Good news,” said Rahman Hossain.
And one by the name Kamrul Islam picked on the denial to ask: “Does that mean, Yunus supports the illegal government and is not with protesters…”
“Yunus is facing humiliation for his controversial acts,” said Amanul Haque.
Rony M Rahman felt it was a “big mistake” on Yunus’s part to go with the BNP or those of the same mindset.
On the other hand, Miraz Hossain said the entire episode was “a conspiracy to tarnish Yunus’ image”.
After his removal from the Grameen Bank as its managing director, his relations with the Hasina government became strained.
The government leaders have taken a dig at him on many occasions.
But the BNP stood by him, saying the Awami League was disrespecting a ‘distinguished person’.
Although he usually keeps himself from making political remarks, his political stand had become clear when he supported the BNP demand for a caretaker government before the last national election.
Yunus was an advisor to the caretaker government headed by Justice Habibur Rahman in 1996.
Later, during the military-backed caretaker rule of 2007-8, he had announced the formation of a political party called Nagarik Shakti but subsequently backed down.
Source: Bd news24