National Citizen Party (NCP) Member-Secretary Akhtar Hossain came under attack at New York’s JFK Airport when eggs were hurled at him by Awami League activists stationed outside the terminal.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the attack occurred as Hossain, accompanied by NCP Joint Convener Tasnim Jara, exited the airport with luggage. A video circulating on social media shows an egg hitting Akhter’s back and breaking, prompting aides to shield and escort him away. Other political leaders who traveled alongside him, including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, and Humayun Kabir, a foreign affairs adviser to Tarique Rahman, had already moved ahead.
New York-based journalist Sanjibon Sarkar told the BBC that police later detained one individual, identified as Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, in connection with the incident. Mizan is reportedly an activist of the Awami League, which is banned in Bangladesh. Local police stated he was held on charges of disorderly conduct and aggressive behavior.
The NCP blamed what it called “embassy mismanagement” for failing to prevent the attack, noting that embassy officials were present during the confrontation. According to Bangladeshi journalists in New York, Awami League supporters had gathered outside the airport well before the delegation’s arrival to stage a protest.
The five-member political delegation — part of interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus’s entourage to the 80th United Nations General Assembly — included leaders from BNP, Jamaat, and NCP.
Following the attack, videos emerged of Akhter Hossen leading NCP activists in chants against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League. Among the slogans heard were “Justice for genocide,” “Trial of Sheikh Hasina,” and “Down with Mujibism.” On the opposite side of the road, Awami League supporters held banners and countered with slogans of their own.
Speaking to journalists afterward, Akhter hossen dismissed the incident:
“We are the generation that never bowed to Hasina’s bullets. A broken egg means nothing. This only proves once again that the Awami League is a terrorist organization.”
