Dr. Yunus is still our pride

Dr. Yunus is still the pride of Bangladesh
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the initiator in making tiny loans to poverty-stricken individuals, especially women to help them launch their own means of support, has been sacked from the Grameen Bank. Grameen Bank is a brand name in one hundred counties in the world. Grameen Bank is read , studied and being researched across the globe. But our government did not have any alternative to remove him from his dream organization. Let us see what our Finance Minister AMA Muhith syas on March 03 ‘the government had no alternative but to remove Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhahmmad Yunus from top position of Grameen Bank despite the fact it may taint Bangladeshi image to the global community. ‘The statement of the Finance Minister indicates that the country runs very smoothly and Dr. Yunus was a great problem otherwise their smooth running of the government will be hampered. Actually, the country is facing multifarious and hydra headed problems though the government. May be, the people in the government don’t see it as they belong to highest strata of people. It is definitely how they can understand the pains of the poor? .The price hike has gone up several times beyond seventy percent people’s ability. The government claims that the buying capacity of the people has increased, so they are not facing so problem to buy rice at an exorbitant rate. It also explains the cause of price hike is the game of the opposition party. That is the game or race between the government and the opposition. What about the ordinary people, what about the people like us who are do depend on a certain amount of salary? They give another explanation that in the free market economy the price does not remain within the controlling power of the government which the previous government also claimed. Then what’s the necessity of changing the government by the people if they get the answer from their representatives? When elected government fails to understand the pains of the people, when elected government tells otherwise with the people, do they have any place to go? People don’t get any reasonable answer from them; they see the government doing something strange with which only the poorest people’s interest is directly concerned. Real public representatives of this country must know that the poor people don’t have any access to the state run banks. State run banks are for the businessmen who deliberately increase the price of essentials commodities. But the banks, institutions and organizations developed in the country responding to the dire necessities of the poor must not be disturbed in any way which is tantamount to throwing a kick to the hungry belly of the poor.
The concept of social business enterprise that Yunus proposed is a powerful means for developing a healthy and productive private sector. He has got vast idea and experience to its full flourishment in the greater interest of the nation. A social business enterprise has two criteria for its success. They are how much profit it makes and how much social profit progress it brings. To succeed such an enterprise needs competent and dynamic leadership. We do believe Dr. Yunus possess that level of competence. Under his dynamic leadership the nation hopes to see new way of poverty alleviation. Without removing and alleviating poverty, nation’s going forward to achieve sustainable peace and prosperity simply prove impossible. The purpose of democracy is to ensure sustainable development of the common mass. Without economic emancipation sustainable peace cannot be possible. His achieving Nobel Prize proves this fact. Bringing economic prosperity to the lives of the rural and commoners lead them to peace and prosperity. Grameen Bank is part of the larger effort of the NGOs which has spread far and wide; they have created networks mostly in the villages that reach the poorest elements. NGOs have matured into a significant force over the last 30 years. The contribution of NGOs in our socio-economic setup is time tested. If we close our eyes and think of what would happen in the country in absence of NGOs. Poverty with its multifarious tentacles would have grasped the vitality of the nation. The rural sector would have been in the most neglected portion of the country. NGOs are largely focused on development work and poverty alleviation and in this sense operative in the same areas of society as the government intervention. NGOs have empowered people, particularity women by making the people look towards themselves for solutions instead of waiting for the government to address their problems. If Bangladesh and the diehard poor section of the society want to see some real change, definitely we need more Dr. Yunus and Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. Yunus has shown his ability to organize and mobilize the poorest sections. About 6.5 million poor rural women account for more than 97% of the clients of Grameen Bank. He has shown commitment towards poor section. He understands the urgency of removing poverty by developing the economy by one’s own efforts and has the optimism and organizational ability for accomplishing the task. He has the international stature and vision needed for leading Bangladesh into the global economy. The public representatives of Bangladesh are well aware of the fact that any noble effort of the government never reaches the diehard poor through the state machinery. Why? The causes are well known to them. The existence of organizations such as Grameen Bank and other similar kind of is time tested and well fit in the rural set up of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Bank said the Managing Director of Grameen Bank’s appointing authority did not take prior permission from the central bank for his appointment twelve years ago. Grameen Bank is not a bank of traditional kind that its MD would be under the direct control of Bangladesh Bank. Even then, the then government gave permission to place that post. Suppose, it was not followed, how he did he run the bank eleven years without the consent of the Central Bank? Suddenly, the government has remembered that his position is not legal? Muhith also said, “ There was no vendetta or political vengeance against Dr. Yunus who won the Nobel peace prize in 2006 along with the Grameen Bank he had founded in 1983. This is another point the people in power always undermines the sensible and comprehending power of the people. They continue doing whatever they like and try to give colour by some details which they think general people or those who are not in politics don; t understand. The government should remember that Dr. Yunus is not a mere MD of GB, he himself is an organization. He is read in different reputed universities in different countries even in the western universities. Those who can go beyond the tradition and create something new, they are not ordinary people. They are real heroes of the country. Yunus is an individual of that stature. Is it not our pride that the Grameen Bank model is followed in one hundred countries of the world?
Prof. Yunus would not have been the MD of Grammen Bank forever. Today or tomorrow he would relinquish his responsibility of leading the bank. As he has founded it, there lies a nerve-relation between Yunus and Grameen Bank. In his absence what would happen to it is a concern for all the real patriotic people of the country, it’s a concern for the civil society and serious concerns for the ever neglected segment of the society who don’t have anybody to get real help from. The politics of Bangladesh has the tradition to play many games. If these games remain confined to the politicians, we the general people would not mind. When common people are seriously affected not just concerned, we just get frustrated. The Dhaka city now sees WASA water with very obnoxious smell, mosquito menace, frequent load shedding , hijacking have made the life of city dwellers unbearable. Bu they have to bear everything sitting in the house. Whom they will ask for help? There is none to listen their cry. If you cry much, the government has a good solution. What is that ‘police action’. Why not? We are enjoying full democracy. A democratic government can indeed do anything for the welfare of the people!
The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam. (March 04) has said, “Under the visionary leadership of Yunus Grameen Bank moved into innovative partnerships with global companies life Danone, Adidas, Viola to provide nutritious yogurt, cheap shoes and safe drinking water at affordable prices. Its stunningly successful partnership has been with Telenor of Norway, leading to the formation of Grameen Phone by far the most successful mobile company in the country, now the highest taxpaying company at Tk 900 crore annually. His office is austere with book shelves , some wooden chairs and a square desk for himself. He shares his quarters with four other senior GB officials in a small five-storey building , each occupying a floor. Till his Nobel Prize he had no personal transport but used the bank’s microbus when moving around. His trademark Grameen Check attire is now well known global trade mark that projects Bangladesh’s clothes and designs wherever he goes with these days, is pretty much everywhere. “ I have gone through many comments published in some dailies. One comment from the Daily Star goes like this, . “Shame, shame, shame on all those who were out to disgrace Prof. Yunus for political vendetta. The bad smell of the whole orchestrated move cannot be hidden with the perfume of any smart political statements. Simply, put those who have made comments about Yunus and the benefit of Grameen Bank. Lack sagacity, judgment capability and intellectual quality. It’s a black day for Bangladesh and the people should wear dark badges on arms. “

Dr. Yunus we all are frustrated. The people of the whole world who really love the poor, who really want to do something for the poor, who love innovation and honesty are frustrated at this national decision. Your grief and unfathomable love for Grameen Bank and its beneficiaries are also shared by those people. You have not lost anything. Rather you have gained much. Let us congratulate you once again as we did when you achieved the world’s most prestigious prize for this nation. O nation thou art pride or really poor?
( March 08, 2011)

Md. Masum Billah