Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, on Thursday, accused the government of trying to forcefully grab Grameen Bank. “Intruding the bank forcefully, and demanding a 51 per cent share of the bank, is nothing but snatching it,” he added. “If the people of the country do not raise their voice, the bank would be snatched. It is high time that people raise their voice and say that they would not tolerate this,” Dr Yunus said.
He was addressing a reception at the auditorium of Institute of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB), Chittagong, on Thursday. An organisation, named Dr Yunus Surid, had organised Thursday’s programme, to honour the Nobel laureate for receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, the top civilian award in the US.
Dr Yunus said there are criticisms against the interest rate of Grameen Bank (GB), but no one talks about the savings scheme of the bank. “There can be no question about the Grameen Bank Act: how can the Nobel wining act be thrown away?” he asked.
“The government is trying to turn GB into a company like Palli Biddut, and divide it into 19 parts. The name ‘Grameen’ has become popular all over the world, and it is difficult to understand from what kind of mentality calls for trying to erase the name,” Dr Yunus said.
“The government can ask the GB board to take more loan and capital from the government, in exchange of share. If the board agrees, the government can buy more shares,” he opined, alleging that instead of doing this, the government is trying to intrude in the bank, forcefully. “GB is the only private organisation in the world, which has won the Nobel Prize; the organisation got that recognition by arranging micro-credit: can it be broken that easily?” Dr Yunus added further.
“Grameen Bank has been built with the funds of poor women, where nearly Tk. 60 crore is its paid-up capital, while the government has only invested Tk. 1.80 crore. How can the inquiry commission propose to hand over the majority shares of an organisation, which is owned 97% by private citizens, to the government,” he said.
“The bank does not take any money, neither from the government nor from any donor organisation. It is a fully independent institution. The bank is owned and managed by the poor women borrowers,” he said. “It is not only a micro-credit banking institution, but also an internationally recognised brand, but, the ruling government has been trying to change the bank’s structure,” Dr Yunus said, adding that the government should change its mind, and step back from the suicidal decision, for the nation.
Earlier, at the first session, the Nobel laureate answered several questions from youth and students, at the ceremony, and gave directions on how to start a social business. About thousands of youth and students, of different age groups, took part in the first session and received some detailed guidance from Dr Yunus.
Chaired by Prof. Sikandar Khan, vice-chancellor of East Delta University of Chittagong, the reception ceremony was addressed by Prof. Dr Moinul Islam, former president of Bangladesh Economic Association and also a teacher of the economics department of Chittagong University, freedom fighter Faruk-e-Azam, Amir Humayun Mahmud Choudhury, Prof. Tahmina Khanam, and Dr Fazlul Karim, among others.
-With The Independent input
