The scheduled meeting between the Finance Minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith and Noble laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus reportedly over his continuity as Managing Director of Grameen Bank has been deferred by a couple of days due to the visit of Princess Anne to Bangladesh. The Finance Minister told The Independent Tuesday that he will talk with Yunus over the issue arising from a Bangladesh Bank opinion which said Yunu’s appointment was questionable.
“It is a legal matter. We are concerned about that. But thisis not the right time to comment on the issue,” Abdul Muhith said at his Secretariat office.
Meanwhile, Shafiqur Rahman Patwari, Finance Secretary (Banking Division) said the ministry has nothing to do with that issue.
“The Bangladesh Bank found that Grameen Bank board had violated the Grameen Bank Ordinance 1983.
The BB sent us a copy to inform us of the matter but we have nothing to do with it,” Patwari said.
Earlier BB issued a letter to Grameen Bank stating that it had breached two laws in appointing Yunus as its Managing Director for an indefinite period.
The Grameen Bank Ordinance said the Managing Director should be below 60 years of age and appointment of the managing director should be approved by the central bank.
Besides, Bank Chairman Khandokar Mozammel Haq said he is waiting for a copy of the resolution of the 52nd board meeting of the bank when the board appointed Yunus as its Managing Director.
“When we will get the copy we will check whether the bank breached the ordinance or not. We will call a meeting of the 92nd board soon after we get the copy,” Haq added.
Meanwhile, according to diplomatic sources the government has been under pressure from various western diplomats who repeatedly advocated for Prof Yunus to continue in the job. The government has received mail and phone calls from high level diplomats.
Sources said, the ongoing visit of British Princes Anne is also the part of the European effort to stabilise relations between Dr Yunus and the government.
Courtesy of The Independent
