How Can Bangladesh Give Impunity to Nobel Laureate Dr. Yunus When He Breaks the State Law?

The Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus. 40 prominent people of the world have written an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, alleging that they are "victims of unfair treatment" by the government, which was published in the form of an advertisement in the US daily Washington Post last Tuesday (March 7). Some media of Bangladesh have also published that advertisement in the form of news. But Dr. The ad did not mention any specific information about what kind of wrongdoing or attack Yunus was subjected to.

"There is a huge lack of information in the statement. If we look at the ad very simply from the beginning, Dr. There are no details on where Yunus's humanitarian activities around the world or the activities he is running in the country were affected or who stopped them.

Dr. Is Yunus banned from traveling abroad? He is going to hundreds of places outside the country, he has been blocked? Not allowed to go to the airport? We don't know anything like that. Where are the obstacles on his activities? This is the first allegation, which has no basis.”

The government has not treated Dr. Yunus in a way that warrants an open letter, even an advertisement. At the expense of millions of dollars, 'advertisements' had to be given. When news items are promoted with advertisements, it is not left to understand, the information disseminated therein is fabricated.

He was not treated by the Government in such a way as to warrant such a statement. But the common people of this country are well aware of what kind of harmful activities Dr. Yunus is involved in Bangladesh.

Dr. Allegations of corruption against Yunus are not new. An era ago on Norwegian state television. A documentary was aired against Yunus about the siphoning of crores of rupees by Grameen Bank. Currently Dr. Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating Yunus's Gramin Telecom corruption.

The organization has been accused of misappropriating workers' money, embezzling 455.52 lakh 13 thousand taka without distributing the welfare fund and transferring 2 thousand 977 crore takas to affiliated institutions through money laundering. ACC has already interrogated Grameen Telecom MD Nazmul Islam regarding the complaint.

Apart from this, he wanted to come to power minus the leaders of the two major parties during the 1/11 army-backed government. At that time, he also announced a party called Grameen Party. Dr. Padma Bridge came back behind the cancellation of funding. The name of Yunus.

Dr. Yunus' Grameen Telecom corruption probe is on. In this situation, in October of last year, the western lobby started to make Yunus a hero. On October 6, the Sweden-based media Netnews published a report about Yunus.

The online media is funded by an NGO of the country with US funds. The report was made by David Bergman, a controversial journalist who took a stand against war crimes trials in Bangladesh. It is said that the Anti-Corruption Commission of Bangladesh has come up against Yunus.

A week after that, on 13 October 2022, the British newspaper 'The Economist' published news making Yunus a hero. It is said there, Bangladesh has increased persecution against Nobel winner Yunus. Even if he is promoted, he will have to appear before the ACC, and may face an immigration ban. This report has been published for a long time. During this period Dr. No action against Yunus was seen. So why such lies!

Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus is now known to all as a ‘villain’ in Bangladesh as he allegedly stood in the way of construction of the country’s largest structure Padma Multipurpose Bridge.

Allegations are rife that Dr Yunus, who is supposed to be revered by the people of the country for winning Nobel Prize, conspired to stop World Bank funding for the Padma Bridge project.His role after the country’s 1/11 political changeover had drawn strong criticism from different quarters, particularly civil society members. Since then he became a controversial person in the country.

There are also widespread allegations that Dr Yunus, the Grameen Bank founder, had illegally transferred fund of foreign donors to different private organizations to serve his own interests.

Besides, a stunning allegation has recently surfaced against Dr Yunus that he unlawfully settled all the 110 cases, filed against him by Grameen Telecom union of workers and employees, with Tk 250 million.

People of the country have no more esteem for the Nobel laureate they see him as a villain due to such anti-state activities. He (Dr Yunus), however, has refuted all the allegations brought against him. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has recently come down heavily on Dr Yunus and his foreign associates for their ‘involvement’ in scrapping of World Bank’s financing for the Padma Bridge project.

The American daily Washington post has published the open letter of 40 eminent people of the world in favour of Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Muhammad Yunus in the form of “advertisement”, not news.

Eminent citizens in Bangladesh questioned the intentions of spending money for such a letter as it cost over Tk78 lakh to publish the advertisement on the seventh page of the paper.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 40 eminent personalities of the world expressed their "deep concerns for the well-being" of Muhammad Yunus.

This letter was published in the form of an “advertisement” in the American daily Washington Post last Tuesday (March 7).
The letter read that it is "painful to see Prof Yunus, a man of impeccable integrity, and his life's work unfairly attacked and repeatedly harassed and investigated by your government".

It is not clear, however, what type of wrongdoing or attack Dr Yunus was subjected to. There is no specific information about that in the advertisement.
Page seven of the Washington Post is used for advertising. On March 7, the open letter was printed on that page in 18.5 inches, five columns. The size of that advertisement was 90 and a half column inches. Out of the total six columns on that page, one column was news. And at the bottom was another two-and-a-half-inch ad.

According to information available online, Washington Post's current advertising rate is $807 per column inch. According to that, the cost of this advertisement of Yunus is 73 thousand 33 dollars. The price of the dollar is 107 in taka, which means the value of the ad is 78 lakh 14 thousand 584 taka.

But people know about Dr Yunus and they are well aware about the harmful activities he was involved in Bangladesh.

Civil society in Bangladesh is divided in line with different party politics. We know in any issue when they issue a statement, they call their like-minded people and say I am giving your name. Those people who give consent even do not read the statement clearly. Dr Yunus is an international player. In his case, a similar thing happened. That means after writing the letter they (40 people) were told that your name is given.”

The list of those who signed the letter shows that not all of them are influential. But there are some who have influence. So, the idea that 40 numbers or 40 people are very important is completely wrong.”

Another thing is that, this is not Washington Post journalism. They didn't report it. Neither did their research or they printed it. If you look, you will see that this is a paid content.

“The statement is also based on under-information (lack of information). If we look at the ad very simply from the beginning, there are no details on where Dr Yunus's humanitarian activities around the world or the activities he is running in the country were affected or who stopped them. Is Dr. Yunus banned from traveling abroad? He is going to hundreds of places outside the country, has he been blocked? Has he not been allowed to go to the airport? We don't know anything like that. Where are the obstacles in his activities? This is the first allegation, which has no basis.” "In the open letter, they did not specifically say that this work has been obstructed, that work has been obstructed." That means I will assume that this statement of 40 prominent citizens is part of continuous propaganda. The government has not treated him in any way that warrants such a statement.


Tilottama Rani Charulata is an
independent researcher