A Bangladeshi student residing in Sydney, Australia, is facing a series of threats after intervening to protect his Jewish colleague from verbal harassment and threats at their workplace.
Novoneel Rahman, who is currently studying in Sydney and working part-time at Woolworths, Australia's largest supermarket chain, found himself at the centre of a disturbing incident on March 7th.
According to police reports and eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred at approximately 5 PM at a Woolworths store.
Customers began directing verbal threats and discriminatory remarks towards the store manager, Warren Kaufmann, specifically targeting his Jewish background.
The customers demanded that Kaufmann leave the country and threatened to return with others to inflict physical harm.
Witnessing the escalating situation, Novoneel stepped in to de-escalate the confrontation. He attempted to reason with the aggressive customers, and after a tense exchange, they eventually left the supermarket.
Kaufmann remained calm and professional throughout the incident, refraining from provocative responses.
Authorities were alerted, and a formal complaint was lodged at the Maroubra Police Station. Novoneel Rahman provided a detailed witness statement to the police, hoping the matter would be resolved.
However, Novoneel began receiving threatening messages and calls from unknown numbers in the days following the incident, leading to a growing sense of insecurity.
The student's family in Bangladesh is deeply concerned for his safety. They are particularly worried given the rising anti-Jewish sentiment in Bangladesh, fueled by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The family fears for Novoneel's safety and thought, should he return to his home country, especially considering the increased activity of Islamic fundamentalist groups since August 5th of last year.
"My family is terrified," Novoneel Rahman expressed to sources, "They are afraid that if I come back to Bangladesh, I will be in danger."
