Removal of Prof Yunus dishonours 20m women
Says 20 distinguished citizens.
Twenty distinguished female personalities in a statement yesterday said Prof Muhammad Yunus' removal brings dishonour to the 20 million poor women who were empowered by Grameen Bank.
They demanded an end to this situation through a proper and respectable solution to the matter, says the statement.
"We, the undersigned, have been observing with great concern the harassment of Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, who has contributed to the empowerment of the poor, especially poor rural women through alleviation of their poverty," it reads.
"Today nearly 20 million poor women of Bangladesh have been empowered through microcredit and contributed to the development of the country."
"It should be understood by all concerned that showing disrespect to the proponent of microcredit is tantamount to disrespecting the 20 million women," says the statement.
The signatories are Dr Hamida Hossain, Salma Ali, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Farida Akhter, Tahrunessa Abdullah, Prof Amena Mohsin, Salma Khan, Dr Maleka Begum, Prof Rounaq Jahan, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Shaheen Anam, Shireen Huq, Mahera Khatun, Prof Ferdous Azim, Prof Najma Siddiqui, Prof Nashid Kamal, Dr Tasnim Azim, Simeen Mahmud, Prof Parween Hasan, and Prof Mahmuda Islam.
Meanwhile, The employees of Grameen Bank yesterday urged all to voice against termination of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus from the bank by the government 'illegally'.The man, who had brought the nation honour through his life-long hard work, has been much dishonoured, said a statement of Grameen Bank Karmochari Samity.
"We have a workforce of 26,000 people, three lakh members, and their family members. Above all the people are beside us. Please come with us to protest the illegal termination and recover the nation's dignity," read the statement.
The people and the Grameen Bank employees are shamed, shocked, and agitated because of the harassment of Dr Yunus, it said.
According to the statement, the microcredit pioneer has created opportunity for 30 lakh women to be self-reliant.
Despite those contributions, Dr Yunus has been dishonoured vindictively through termination from the bank while he deserves much honour, it said.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=176578
