Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son and adviser to Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, stated on Sunday that British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer refused to meet Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus during his UK tour, branding him an unelected, illegitimate leader driving Bangladesh into decline.
He said that earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron also declined a meeting.
Joy said Yunus misled Bangladeshis by claiming the trip was a state visit. Instead, he used public funds to accept a personal award.
He accused Yunus of lying to Chatham House about the destruction of Bangabandhu’s house, asserting it was a planned act with Yunus’ full knowledge and support, including the provision of bulldozers.
He further said that Yunus falsely told the BBC he did not interfere with the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) work. “Every case against my family since August is baseless and politically motivated,” Joy said, noting Yunus repeatedly referenced his family to international media.
He also highlighted that Yunus’ press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, falsely quoted a UK MP to claim that Starmer was in Canada during the visit.
“This lie was absurd, as the Prime Minister was in the House of Commons at the time. Yunus’ aide forgot he cannot control international media with fabricated murder cases and jail threats,” Joy remarked.
Awami League protests gain attention
Since Tuesday, Awami League leaders and activists in Europe have protested outside The Dorchester, chanting for Sheikh Hasina’s return and Yunus’ resignation.
Demonstrators displayed wastebins adorned with posters of Yunus and his press secretary, strategically placing them around the area. They also paraded an effigy of Yunus adorned with a garland of shoes.
A pickup van circled the hotel, showcasing images and text exposing alleged misdeeds of Yunus’ interim government.
When Yunus went to the UK Parliament, the protesters also took position outside and chanted slogans against him.
Extravagant tour criticised
Political parties, observers, and journalists criticised the UK tour, which yielded no trade deals or diplomatic meetings. Personally, Yunus benefited from receiving the King Charles III Harmony Award 2025 and meeting the king.
Yunus was also criticised for skipping a meeting with the UK’s former city minister, Tulip Siddiq, who invited him to a meeting in Parliament, mentioning him in a tweet.
Reports claim he spent four days at The Dorchester, a six-star hotel, with a 37-member entourage, allegedly for a covert meeting with fugitive BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman over power sharing.
The group reportedly spent £210,325 (Tk3.5 crore) on 37 luxury rooms, with Yunus occupying a suite costing £6,045 (Tk10 lakh) per night. Opting for Emirates’ first- and business-class flights, he bypassed direct Biman flights to London.
Arafat’s sharp critique
Former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad A Arafat criticised Yunus’ UK tour in a tweet outlining ten observations.
He condemned Yunus for denying police reluctance to protect the Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi 32, asserting his administration supplied bulldozers to demolish this symbol of Bangladesh’s War of Independence.
Arafat accused Yunus and his press team of lying about the trip’s state visit status and Starmer’s whereabouts, claiming they were caught “red-handed.”
He echoed Joy, stating Starmer avoided Yunus due to his unelected status, and the UK Foreign Secretary cancelled a meeting.
No senior UK minister met Yunus, who was forced to visit the office of the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, at Parliament.
He further alleged Yunus misrepresented his non-interference with the ACC and politically motivated cases, which British officials reportedly recognised.
Arafat mocked Yunus’ claim that the next election would be “the most beautiful,” given the Awami League’s banned activities, suspended registration, and over 100 MPs unlawfully jailed.
On the meeting with Tarique Rahman, Arafat claimed it revealed plans for a rigged election excluding 50% of voters.
Nanak denounces Yunus’ remarks as offensive
On Friday, Awami League Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak issued a vehement condemnation of Yunus’ remarks during the Chatham House interview, where he disparaged Bangladeshis.
Responding to a question about leaving reforms to the people, Yunus reportedly said: “They [Bangladeshis] sell their votes for money.” Nanak called this statement disgraceful, arguing only anti-state, anti-democratic figures would demean their own people so brazenly.
“Individuals like Yunus, with undemocratic and dictatorial mindsets, dismiss people’s empowerment. His Chatham House remarks reflect profound disdain,” Nanak said.
He accused Yunus, a foreign-passport holder with external allegiances, of glorifying himself by degrading his birthplace’s citizens, crossing ethical boundaries.
Nanak alleged that Yunus and his allies illegally seized power through unconstitutional means, abusing state institutions for personal gain and turning governance into an unethical enterprise. “As puppets of foreign powers, they treat Bangladeshis as mere statistics, committing anti-national acts that undermine our unity,” he added.
Nanak emphasised that Bangladesh’s sovereignty was forged through the sacrifices of millions of martyrs. “For Yunus, a predatory usurer feeding off this nation, to illegally seize power and insult its people is intolerable,” he declared.
He warned that such remarks on international platforms reveal Yunus’ intent to suppress voting rights and dominate through anti-democratic means.
“The Awami League remains the political institution closest to the people’s hearts. We are resolute in protecting their rights and will rise again to defeat anti-people forces, restoring dignity and justice for Bangladeshis, InshaAllah,” Nanak concluded.
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