Thirteen eminent citizens of the country yesterday said that Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus is being harassed in various ways.
In a joint statement they said Yunus is facing malicious personal attacks for his position and hence being subject of different allegations.
The signatories to the statement are Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury, Advocate Sultana Kamal, Khushi Kabir, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Shirin Haque, Dr Binayak Sen, Rubi Gaznobi, Dr Simim Mahmud, Muhammad Kamal Uddin, Prof Parveen Hasan, Prof Ferdous Azim, Advocate UM Habibunnesa and Architect Zahedul Hasan.
Although the government has formed a committee to investigate the allegations against Yunus, he is being harassed in many other ways, they said.
The eminent citizens said Prof Yunus has become the centre of discussion at home and abroad and that they feel embarrassed about the situation.
The signatories demanded fair discussion and criticism about the Bangladeshi icon. They said it is necessary to wait before talking about the matter at the moment when the government is observing it.
They hope that the government would be fair and transparent regarding the method, pace and development of the observation as well as making its report public.
“Nobel Laureate Dr Yunus has brought glory for Bangladesh and we want decency while writing and speaking about him,” they added.
Yunus, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Grameen Bank in 2006, has been targeted with increasingly aggressive attacks by the government as well as his opponents following a Norwegian documentary, released in December last accusing him and the bank of malpractice.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
