Editor's Pick

Yunus and government

10 March 2011
• LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Photo: AFP

It has been quite a long time that we are witnessing something is going wrong between Prof. Yunus and the government. I, like many others, do not really know the reason(s) behind this episode. The whole nation is proud of Dr. Yunus, the man who has earned a Nobel Prize for Bangladesh. Prof. Yunus is the man who succeeded to raise Grameen Bank, that started with two staff, to a level that now employs 20000 persons with 83.5 lakh borrowers. It has 18 other affiliated social concerns and disbursed Tk. 60000 crore in loans. Prof. Yunus has been removed from the post of Grameen Bank's Managing Director by the government that owns only 25% of its stake. We, the general mass, are really surprised why the government, leaving so many other national problems unaddressed, is creating new problems. Spiraling prices of consumer commodities; crisis of electricity, gas and water; looming food shortage; share market slide; unemployment and huge drop in manpower export etc. are the burning issues before the government. By ignoring the core issues and willfully destroying an internationally acclaimed institution of the poor and disgracing a paramount personality like Prof. Yunus, the AL government is accelerating its downfall. Engr. Md. Aminul Hoque, Khalishpur R/A, Khulna
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There were three reports in your front page on 5th March, all related to Grameen bank! May be the government does not like the way it works; but why take it up in a personal manner only about the bank chairman? After all, this bank and its founder chairman, brought recognition of the world to Bangladesh, by winning the Nobel Prize! Can we overlook this singular and the greatest achievement of Bangladesh? There are many government owned public commercial banks, where the government holds majority shares, and that operate in a far worse manner, but seems to get away 'scott-free' and carry on. In contrast, government's ownership in Grameen Bank is below 10%, which makes the actions taken so far as subjective rather than objective! To have a fair evaluation, it would be best to publish in the dailies a comparative summery of lending activities of the local 'Public', 'Private' and 'Grameen' Banks. the criteria could be say, "collateral and/or guarantees needed against getting loans", "minimum amount of loan usually given", "usual terms and conditions of loans", “interest charged and usual repayment period", the "minimum charge to sanction a loan", and importantly the amounts involved in "bad and written off loans". Government should provide these comparative figures, as it is no 'state secret'; but if government does not, then it is well within the capabilities of our dailies to produce these comparative figures! With these information available publicly, most of your readers, can draw their own conclusions, without the unnecessary histrionics being created. S.A. Mansoor, Dhaka
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Bangladesh government argued that Dr. Yunus can not be managing Grameen Bank because he is over 60 years of age. I have two comments on that. 1. Is it wise to have a younger incapable person to take over or a healthy 70 year old as capable as Dr. Yunus to guide the bank? 2. If age is a factor to be considered, then why Mr. Muhith and lots of other advisers of Bangladesh government are still continuing in their jobs when they are much over 60 years? Iqbal mahmood, Ph.D., P.E. Los Angeles, CA
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There is a joke regarding Bangladeshis which is very popular among common people. The joke is that a person was visiting hells where people from different nations were suffering. Guards were deployed everywhere so that no one could flee. But there was a hell where no guard was deployed. The man became surprised and wanted to know from the accompanying angel as to why no guard had been deployed to that particular hell. The angel smiled and replied that this was the hell where Bangladeshis were put. The angel said, “We need not put any guard because whenever a Bangladeshi wants to flee the hell, other Bangladeshis pull him down.” Bangladeshis are so jealous a nation that they cannot even tolerate any good of their fellow citizens. Prof Yunus, who has earned a wide reputation for Bangladesh, has been removed! Unfortunate for the poor Bangladeshis. Kazi Ahmed, Toronto, Canada
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Who is this sacked Yunus? 1. The only Bangladeshi Nobel laureate. 2. Won Nobel Prize by staying and working within the boundary of Bangladesh. 3. The only entrepreneur Nobel laureate of the world. 4. Who has worked with the poorest of the poor of the world. 5. Who believes in work over charity. 6. Who focused on empowering the women of the village. 7. Who has shown a model to the world that banks can operate without collateral too. 8. Who has shown that the poor are creditworthy too. 9. Who believes in dignity over mercy for the poor. 10. Who left a secure and comfortable western life to live and work in his impoverished motherland. 11. Who is implementing the concept that business owners get satisfaction not only by making profit but also by investing for social causes. 12. The only Bangladeshi who has won most of the world prestigious prizes including Nobel Prize, US Presidential Medal of Freedom, Ramon Magsaysay Award, King Abdul Aziz Medal, etc. The list will go on and on. Afsar Ali ,USA
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