Dr. Yunus Shown Black Flags by Awami League in Japan

Japan Correspondent

In protest against the visit of Chief Advisor Dr. Yunus to Japan, the Awami League of Japan and members of the Bangladeshi expatriate community staged a demonstration in front of the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo on Friday afternoon. During the protest, they displayed black flags addressed to Dr. Yunus.

Despite drizzling rain and freezing cold, a significant number of leaders and activists from the Japan chapter of Awami League, its affiliated organizations, and the Bangladeshi expatriate community attended the protest. They carried party banners as well as placards with various anti-Yunus messages.

The protesters chanted slogans such as “Go back Yunus,” “Step down Yunus,” “Boycott Yunus,” “Yunus, you war criminal, leave Bangladesh immediately,” “Yunus, puppet of Pakistan, leave Bangladesh,” and “Beware, agents of Pakistan.” They also raised party slogans like “Joy Bangla,” “Joy Bangabandhu,” and “Joy Sheikh Hasina.”

Speakers at the protest included former Awami League president Saleh Mohammad Arif, former joint convenor Mazharul Islam Masum, organizational secretary Nazmul Hasan Ratan, joint convenor Bashir Ahmed, Japan Chhatra League president SM Hasan, Japan Jubo League president BM Shahjahan, Japan Sramik League president Shah Alam, and former student leader Nowaz Sharif Harunur Rashid, among others.

Addressing Japanese journalists, Kazi Mahfuzul Haque Lal, the founding president of Japan Awami League, spoke in Nihongo (Japanese).

In their speeches, the protesters highlighted various ongoing issues in Bangladesh, including repression, the rise of anti-liberation forces and militants, widespread incidents of rape, mass killings, and police murders, portraying the country’s chaotic situation.

Kazi Mahfuzul Haque Lal presented to the Japanese media a detailed account in Japanese, including allegations of atrocities by the Yunus administration, such as the killing of 2,500 police officers.

The protest meeting was scheduled to coincide with Dr. Yunus’s visit and began at 4 pm. However, Dr. Yunus did not arrive at the embassy on time. It is speculated that he avoided the venue to evade Awami League leaders and supporters. The protest concluded at 5 pm.