Saturday, February 24th, 2007Criticising Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus' micro-credit institution Grameen Bank and his decision to enter politics, a section of academicians yesterday said Prof Yunus has to clarify his ideological position before entering politics.The micro-credit system cannot be a means of poverty alleviation, rather it is deeply linked to capitalism that finally helps poverty continue, they said at the publication ceremony of a book at the Jatiya Press Club.The book titled "Grameen Bank and Dr Yunus: In the View of a Witness" by former Grameen Bank official Sardar Amin was published by Jatiya Shahitya Prokashani."Dr Yunus' declaration of entering politics proves ...
(read more) Sunday, February 18th, 2007Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus yesterday said Bangladesh can be the first country to put poverty in the museums by 2030 tapping the huge potential and natural resources it has. "We've an abundance of natural gas and coal alongside a unique geographical setting. And on top of these, we have a port that offers immense prospects."I firmly believe we would be the first one to achieve the envisaged target of sending poverty to the museums by 2030 if we can take advantage of the resources in reserve and build a mega-seaport and an airport," he said addressing a seminar in ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 30th, 2007Nobel Laureate and Grameen Bank founder Prof Muhammad Yunus has criticised the existing international financial institutions for shutting out the world's poor from receiving their credit.While delivering the keynote address at the international conference to commemorate the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's 'Satyagraha' form of political movement here yesterday, Prof Yunus also advocated the concept of social business to address socio-economic problems."Two-third of the world's population do not have access to the financial services of these institutions. This is a form of financial apartheid," he said.Prof Yunus said the significance of his getting the Nobel Prize for Peace was the ...
(read more) Wednesday, December 20th, 2006Prof 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 ...
(read more) Saturday, December 16th, 2006Nobel Peace laureate and Grameen Bank founder Prof Muhammad Yunus has been invited by India's ruling party Congress to an international conference due next month to mark the centenary of the launch of "satyagraha" movement by Mahatma Gandhi.Titled "Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment: Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st Century", the two-day conference will begin on January 29.South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu is among an array of eminent global personalities invited to the conference.Delegations from 54 countries, including heads of state and foreign ministers, have so far confirmed their participation in the conference that would have as its themes conflict resolution ...
(read more) Monday, December 11th, 2006Micro-credit pioneer Prof Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh, founder of Grameen Bank, unveiled a bold vision for ending global poverty as he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize yesterday."Poverty is a threat to peace," the economist turned humanitarian banker said accepting the 1.1 million euro (1.4 million dollar) prize. "The frustrations, hostility and anger generated by abject poverty cannot sustain peace in any society in the world."The Grameen Bank, which shared the award, has helped millions in Bangladesh extricate themselves from penury through tiny, collateral-free loans, and has been successfully emulated throughout the world over the last decade.In his prepared ...
(read more) Monday, December 11th, 2006In the freezing Oslo morning, Anisur Rahman and his wife Meherunnessa were standing in a long queue in front of the City Hall. They had come all the way from Sweden to walk tall, to hold their head high once in many years.A little behind stands Zaman Sarkar who is travelling from Finland with the same purpose -- to get back self belief and a sense of pride in being a Bangladeshi.Inside the huge hall, the mood was festive. Women in saris and kamiz busily walk around with broad smiles on their faces. Men in panjabi and prayer topis ...
(read more) Saturday, December 9th, 2006Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus yesterday left Dhaka for the Norwegian capital Oslo to receive the most prestigious award at an official ceremony tomorrow.Grameen Bank board member and borrower Taslima Begum will represent the bank that has been leading the way in the field of microcredit across the globe. She will jointly receive the prize with Dr Yunus, said a press release.Yunus and the Grameen Bank share this year's Peace Prize. They have been awarded for their "efforts to create economic and social development from below".Dr Yunus, who has pioneered the use of microcredit in combating poverty, ...
(read more) Tuesday, October 17th, 2006Rapturous ovation and heartiest greetings from all walks of life marked the reception of first Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital yesterday as thousands thronged the venue to congratulate the nation's brightest star.Exhilaration and elation seemed to have had no bounds as the cheerful crowd witnessed the first mass reception accorded to the Nobel laureate and founder of the Grameen Bank.As soon as Yunus entered the hall room of the centre the audience burst into cheers giving him a standing ovation. An ecstatic wave of satisfaction and happiness swept the audience ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof Muhammad Yunus was all ecstatic and full of emotion as he visited his birthplace Chittagong and Jobra village, now a familiar name across the globe, yesterday.The whole Port City--from Engineers Institute to the economics department at Chittagong University to Jobra village where Prof Yunus' revolutionary concept of microcredit kicked off--was vibrant with people from all strata heartily greeting the Nobel laureate.The scene was extraordinary in Jobra village in the afternoon as a few of the first borrowers of Grameen Bank loans thronged the Nabajug Tebhaga Khamar premises and accorded a hearty reception to the lone ...
(read more) 
