Dozens of Awami League supporters staged a vigorous demonstration outside Rome-Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO) on Sunday, protesting the arrival of Muhammad Yunus.

The protest, captured in a video shared on social media, shows activists waving black flags and chanting slogans against what they described as a “murderous and illegal regime,” labelling Yunus a “terrorist.”

The demonstrators expressed their intent to bring back former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the party’s leader, to Bangladesh, and demanded that the ban on its activities be lifted.

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Due to the intensity of the protest, Yunus was compelled to exit the airport through a back entrance, a move that underscores the escalating opposition he faces both domestically and internationally.

The video depicts a chaotic scene with protesters raising fists and holding signs, while security personnel and airport staff attempt to manage the situation.

This protest is part of a broader pattern of unrest, as Yunus and his entourage have faced similar protests during recent visits to the United States and the United Kingdom, reflecting growing discontent among segments of the Bangladeshi diaspora.

At home, Yunus’s interim government has come under increasing scrutiny as public support wanes. Critics accuse his administration of misrule, citing a rise in mob violence, allegations of corruption, and failure to stabilise the country’s political and economic landscape.

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These issues have been compounded by the 2025 Awami League ban protests in Bangladesh, a nationwide movement that demanded a ban on the Awami League and formally ended on May 10, 2025, after significant political turmoil. The movement highlighted deep divisions within the country, with opposition groups intensifying their calls for change.

Yunus arrived in Rome at 5pm local time to participate in the World Food Forum, where he is scheduled to speak as a guest at the main session and hold meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and heads of international organisations.

He was welcomed by Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Italy, ATM Rokebul Haque.

However, Meloni had previously cancelled a planned visit to Bangladesh earlier this year, a decision some analysts attribute to concerns over the political instability under Yunus’s leadership.

This marks Yunus’s 14th foreign trip since assuming power in August 2024, following a “meticulously designed jihadist-army coup.”

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None of these trips has been classified as state visits, and Yunus has struggled to secure meetings with heads of state in most countries, further highlighting his diminishing international influence.

The Rome protest, combined with domestic unrest, underscores the challenges Yunus faces as his tenure nears its end, with allegations of minority violence and strained relations with neighbouring countries like India adding to the complexity of the situation.