Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam has reported that an attempt was made to harass Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam at the Bangladesh Consulate in New York on Sunday night.
In a statement, Shafiqul Alam strongly condemned and protested the incident, stating, “Freedom of speech, assembly, and peaceful protest are cornerstones of democracy, fully protected under the United States Constitution. But these rights must always be exercised with responsibility and respect.”
He further added, “I call on those who engaged in this conduct to reflect on why their political activities have been banished and banned in Bangladesh: because of a repeated pattern of terrorising people and violent, destructive behavior. The same behaviour was grossly on display in New York.”
The Press Secretary explicitly stated, “Violence is not protest. Intimidation is not free speech. Disorder is not democracy. Protest with dignity, not hostility.”
“The strength of any movement is not measured by how loudly it shouts or how violently it acts, but by the discipline, dignity, and responsibility it upholds. Learn from both past and present mistakes: thuggery is no longer an option. Grow up, or risk proving once again to the international community why revolution was the only path to a truly free Bangladesh,” he emphasized.
A separate source has reported that a group of individuals, chanting slogans of “Joy Bangla” and “Joy Awami League,” attempted to attack the adviser.
Eggs were thrown at him, and during the scuffle, the glass of the consulate was broken. Amid tight security, Adviser Mahfuj was escorted away from the scene.