A video showing a group of expatriate Bangladeshis heckling and chanting political slogans at primary and mass education state minister Bobby Hajjaj, who is in New York to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, has spread on social media. The video circulated across various platforms on Friday (September 25).
The video shows Bobby Hajjaj walking along a New York street while several expatriate Bangladeshis follow him, making remarks and shouting slogans. Some of them can be heard calling the state minister a “Bangladeshi terrorist” and a “cheat”, among other insults.
At one point the men followed Bobby Hajjaj and tried to talk to him. Although the situation grew heated, the state minister was not seen getting into any argument. He left the scene calmly.
The location and time of the video, and the full context of the incident, could not be independently verified. There was also no confirmed information about the identity of the people in the video. Various social media posts claim that some of them are Awami League activists or supporters, but these claims also could not be independently verified.
State minister at UN events
Bobby Hajjaj is currently in New York for the UN General Assembly session. Alongside the session’s programme, he is also taking part in various high-level events on education.
On September 24 the state minister attended a high-level conference titled “Multiply Possibility: A New Era for Education Financing”, organised by the Global Partnership for Education in the ECOSOC Chamber at UN headquarters. There he highlighted the need for additional financing and technical assistance to ensure quality, inclusive primary education in Bangladesh.
Earlier, on September 23, Bobby Hajjaj took part in a discussion titled “From Classroom to Economy” with Bangladeshi students and professionals at universities across the United States, held at the Bangladesh Consulate General in Long Island City, New York.
At the meeting he stressed making the education and skills development system more modern and job-oriented, and spoke of the need to link education with employment, entrepreneurship and economic progress.
During the New York visit the state minister also spoke about artificial intelligence-based training to improve primary teachers’ technology skills.
Meanwhile, the video of the incident on a New York street has sparked discussion on social media. Many have criticised the following and heckling of a Bangladeshi government representative on foreign soil, while the political context of the incident is also being debated.
However, there is still no confirmed information on the political identity of the people in the video, the full context of the incident, or whether any legal action has been taken over it.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report