Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
A wrong and politically ill-motivated perception of Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus by the present government, in fact, sends a wrong message to the world about our self-respect as a nation. Professor Yunus was accorded world recognition that no other Bangladeshi has ever received. He was the only Olympic Laurel on 23 July in 2021, the Nobel Peace Prize along with Grameen Bank which was his creation in 2006, the US congressional gold medal and 136 awards from 33 countries of the world, to name a few.
As of now, Professor Yunus has achieved phenomenal success in life. The reason for the Olympic laurel award is that Professor Yunus has promoted sports. In this context he invited French football star Zinedane to visit Bangladesh in November 7 to 8 in 2006 to demonstrate technique of football play in Abahani football field and to open food manufacturing plant in Bogra, in Northern Bangladesh jointly with the world’s food giant Danone of France and Grameen Bank. Both Grameen Bank and Danone have developed the business as a social enterprise.
As a matter of fact this writer takes pride in projecting his Grameen Bank in 1983 and 1992 as a result of my article following an interview Professor Muhammad Yunus in his office at Shamoli in Dhaka in 1983. The Daily Star of 16 July 1992 gave coverage to my article under the caption: ‘A Bank for the Poor by the Poor’ in the Baking and Finance section of Daily Star. Grameen Bank, in fact, was the result of critics by Bankers that Professor Yunus accepted as challenge which prompted him to take a sabbatical leave from Chittagong University for two years and begun propagating in Dhaka and Narsindhi. Having positive results Professor Yunus proposed to establish a Bank for the poor under the caption of Grameen Bank which now represents 93 percent of poor women as stakeholders. Apparently, the campaign which had begun with loan of $ 27 to $ 42 to women in village in Bangladesh in 1986 has grown into global micro-credit movement. That reached the lives of millions of people around the world. Professor Muhammadd Yunus gets credit for this achievement.
Professor Muhammad Yunus and former President of Russian Federation Michael Gorbachev were awarded by Budapest club of Hungry in 197 in Frankfurt, Germany. Incidentally this writer who was serving as counsellor in Bangladesh embassy in Bonn along with Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Shamser Mobin choudury was present to witness the event.
Bangladesh should feel honoured to know that Professor Muhammad Yunus has become founding Chancellor of International Univercity in Alor Setar in kedah, Malaysia on 26 March in 2022 while on 27 October in 2012, Professor Mohammad Yunus has become honorary Chancellor of Gledon University, Glasdon, England.
Professor Muhammad Yunus went to Kuala Lumpur to meet Dr. Mahatir Mohammad immediately, the past Prime Minister of Malaysia at his invitation and his wife Dr. Siti Hasma on 28 March this year to brief about the spreading project of Grameen Bank in different parts of Malaysia and followed by dinner hosted by Madam Noram Ahmad, Minister for Higher Education. This reflects the fact that Professor Muhahammad Yunus has become a prominent personality in the world. Having seen his phenomenal popularity around the world could it be possible that many may become envious of Professor Yunus’ achievement. They may blame him for convincing the World Bank to cancel the loan for the construction of the recently opened Padma Bridge. In fact, nobody in Bangladesh has yet succeeded to receive the Nobel Peace Prize even after having some active personalities in various nations and authorities including Norway-headquarter of the Nobel Peace Prize. Chittagong Hill Tracts accord was thought to be considered to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. This accord was signed on 2 December in 1997 which was in fact an internal problem of Bangladesh.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, retired diplomat from Bangladesh and past President of Nova Toastmaster International club of USA, writes from Falls Church, Virginia).
