Muhith rules out Nobel hero-led search committee for Grameen Bank MD
The government yesterday dismissed the proposition of making Prof Muhammad Yunus the head of a committee to find the managing director for Grameen Bank.
“Some members [of the Grameen Bank board] proposed appointment of Dr Yunus as the chairman of the search committee. But we cannot accept this as a previous MD should not have any role in selecting his successor,” said Finance Minister AMA Muhith.
He was talking to journalists at his secretariat office after a meeting with US Ambassador Dan W Mozena.
The post of the MD fell vacant after Prof Yunus, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Grameen Bank, was unceremoniously relieved of his duties at the microfinance institution in March last year. In May, he stepped down from the post in order to avert disruption in the Grameen Bank activities.
Mohammad Shahjahan is now serving as the acting MD of the bank.
“Delay has already been made regarding the appointment issue. There has been an election to the Grameen Bank board and it will now nominate the search committee,” said the finance minister.
The United States had been showing interest in Grameen Bank for long, particularly on the issue of appointing its MD, said Muhith.
“Prof Yunus is a famous name. He has done a lot of things in America and won a number of awards there. The US wants a good search committee and an amicable settlement of the appointment issue,” he said.
Muhith claimed he had tried to settle the issue amicably from the very beginning but Prof Yunus did not give the government the opportunity. “If he gives us the chance now it can be done in a satisfactory manner.”
Emerging from the meeting with the finance minister, US Ambassador Mozena said the Grameen Bank issue was on the US-Bangladesh agenda. “I am encouraged that all parties want a strong effective Grameen Bank.”
“I am very encouraged that a way will be found to make sure that Grameen Bank will be strong and will continue to bring hope to over eight million of the most vulnerable people in Bangladesh, almost all women, not entirely but almost all women,” he said.
-With The Daily Star input
