Egg-throwing in New York: Detained Jubo League leader released on bail

Jubo League leader Mizanur Rahman, who was detained by the New York police in connection with throwing eggs at National Citizen Party (NCP) member-secretary Akhter Hossen, has been released on bail.

Jubo League is the youth front of the Bangladesh Awami League, the party that was ousted from power through a mass uprising last year.

The Queens County Criminal Court granted him bail at 9:00 pm on Tuesday (New York time).

At that moment, Awami League leaders and activists welcomed him with flowers and chanted slogans.

Mizan said that Bangladesh Awami League president Sheikh Hasina had also telephoned him to extend her greetings.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mizanur Rahman said, “I was scheduled to be presented before the judge at 11:00 pm. To avoid the crowd of more than a hundred Awami League activists, the court brought me before the judge at 8:30 pm. As the allegations brought against me could not be substantiated, the court released me on bail and fixed a date for my next court appearance next month. I do not even know Zahid Khan, the person who filed the case against me. I believe that, in the aftermath of the airport incident, I was deliberately made to be arrested in a false case.”

Mizanur Rahman had thrown eggs at Akhter Hossen, a member of interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’s delegation visiting New York for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The incident occurred at Terminal 4 of John F. Kennedy Airport at 5:00 pm on Monday. Later that evening, at around 9:30 pm, police arrested Mizan from Bangladesh Street in Jackson Heights.

Shibli Sadiq, deputy office secretary of the US chapter of the Awami League, said, “After our day-long successful protest, we were celebrating on Monday night. At that time, a BNP supporter made a false complaint, called the police, and had Mizan arrested.”