Bangladesh News

Prof Muhammad Yunus returned home yesterday with the world’s most prestigious award — Nobel Peace Prize.

On arrival he hoped that the next general election in the country will be held peacefully as there is no alternative to it.

Facing a volley of questions from journalists on politics and election just after arrival he reiterated his call for all political parties to participate in the election. “Political uncertainty definitely exerts itself on the country’s economy,” was his only response to the questions about the existing volatile political situation.

“I hope good sense will prevail among all,” he said. Yunus described the moment of receiving the Nobel peace prize as the most memorable moment in his life.

While talking to the journalists at Grameen Bank head office immediately after arrival with the peace prize he avoided questions about the country’s politics. “Today I shall talk only about the peace prize and avoid discussion on politics.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee formally handed over the peace prize for 2006 to Yunus and Greameen Bank on December 10. Taslima Begum, a board member of Grameen Bank, received the peace prize on behalf of the bank.

Eight other members of the Grameen Bank board were also present at the prize giving ceremony in Oslo, capital of Norway. They along with Afrozi Yunus, wife of Dr Yunus, and other family members of the Nobel laureate also came back home yesterday on the same flight.

Yunus told the awaiting journalists that the world leaders he met during his week long visit wanted to know about the political situation in Bangladesh. “I assured them that the election will be held peacefully as the people of Bangladesh are very conscious and they want to bring back peace.”

He committed to spend the money that he received with the peace prize, for welfare of the people. He also reiterated his plan to eradicate poverty from the world. “The people are poor because they have been made poor artificially.”

Explaining his social business formula Dr Yunus said according to the new concept investors would not expect profit from their investments. They would rather be happy if the money is invested for welfare of the mankind. He claimed that many western companies already responded positively to his new formula.

Thousands of people including many dignitaries gathered at Zia International Airport yesterday morning to welcome and receive Dr Muhammad Yunus, who brought home the world’s most prestigious award.

A group of prominent citizens including Dr Shoeb Ahmed, an adviser to the caretaker government, Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud, a former adviser to a previous caretaker government, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, and Hossain Zillur Rahman received Dr Yunus and his team on the tarmac of the airport as they disembarked from a Boeing 737 which had landed around 11:15 yesterday morning.

A chartered plane of Hamburg International Airline flew the country’s first Nobel laureate and his team back home directly from Paris. Yunus was garlanded heavily on the tarmac and he waved to the welcoming people who gathered there in his honour.

Dozens of journalists from various electronic and print media had been waiting in the VIP lounge of the airport since morning where Dr Yunus smilingly posed for photographs, after getting there.

In the parking area of the airport several thousand people, mainly members of various Grameen organisations and Grameen Bank, had been waiting for him. As Dr Yunus reached the parking lot after completion of airport formalities, thousands burst into cheers and showered him with petals of flowers.

Many young people wearing Grameen made dresses danced on the street expressing joy for Yunus winning the Nobel peace prize.

Addressing the enthusiastic crowd, Yunus said, “We have come home with the world’s most prestigious prize and through this Bangladesh showed the world what its people can do.”

“We should try our best to bring more prestige for the nation,” he said. He thanked the 70 lakh poor borrowers of Grameen Bank for bringing the peace prize home.

Later, Yunus came to Grameen Bank head office in Mirpur escorted by a convoy of around fifty trucks full of people. Grameen Bank members also celebrated the home coming of the peace prize and the laureate through singing patriotic songs and performing dances at the head office after the arrival of the delegation.

After receiving the peace prize in Norway, Yunus and the Grameen Bank delegation also visited Britain, Sweden, Denmark, and France. Top leaders of those countries hosted receptions in honour of Yunus and his delegation.

The king and queen of Norway for the first time hosted a banquet in honour of a Nobel peace laureate.

In France, President Jacques Chirac hosted a reception for Yunus in Palais de l’Élysée and discussed the micro credit programme of Grameen Bank with him, the nobel laureate told the journalists.

Cherry Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, also received the delegation in their weekend cottage, he added.

World famous singers participated in a concert organised in honour of Yunus in Oslo during the visit. Nrittanchal, a cultural troupe which accompanied Yunus during the trip, staged cultural shows in the countries they visited reflecting Bangladeshi culture. Shibly Mohammad and Shamim Ara Nipa led the troupe.