Does anyone have an answer?
By Ameerah Haq
I have served in the United Nations for over three decades. In the course of my various assignments and travels in many nations, I have found that Bangladesh is synonymous with Grameen Bank, Prof. Yunus and Sir Fazle Abed. The awarding of the Nobel Peace prize only served to catapult the position of Bangladesh even higher in development circles. Bangladesh has much to celebrate in the role that non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society and the micro-finance sector have played in poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women.
I am baffled at the decision of the government to oust a national hero. Here is a person who had the courage to walk into a bank and state that the poor are creditworthy. While ridiculed at first, and with many sceptics, he persevered with this idea. The result is that, today, from Peru to Malawi to Malaysia to Chicago, the micro-credit concept of Grameen Bank from Bangladesh has taken firm root. This great son of our soil should be honoured and revered for his pioneering vision and the impact that it has had on the lives of so many.
Let me briefly mention just two anecdotes to illustrate how as a Bangladeshi, I have swelled with pride because of Prof. Mohd. Yunus. In 1995, Prof. Yunus visited Malaysia where I was the Resident Coordinator of the UN. It was my privilege to arrange a meeting for Prof. Yunus with Dr. Mahathir, then prime minister of Malaysia, and to accompany him. When Dr. Mahathir entered the room, I said: "Mr. Prime Minister, allow me to present ..." Prime Minister Mahathir cut me off, saying: "Prof. Yunus needs no introduction. I have followed his work and know all about him."
The second incident was when I was on a transcontinental flight to the USA and happened to be seated beside a CEO of a European Bank. When the time came for the meal to be served, we spoke to each other and he learned that I was from Bangladesh. Immediately, he reached for his briefcase and pulled out the book "Banker to the Poor" by Prof. Yunus and told me how inspired he was by the vision of this man.
Is micro-credit the panacea for poverty alleviation? No. Is it foolproof in its design and in the way it is reproduced? No. These are all issues for public discourse, evaluations, studies, adjustments and improvements. It is a work-in-progress. But micro-credit has put Bangladesh squarely on the map. Rather than celebrating a national treasure, what kind of spectacle of destruction are we engaged in for the world to see? My question is, why? Is it because he attempted to form a new political party in a multi-party democracy? Is it his age? He turned 62 eight years ago. So now, when I get queries from many quarters as to what is happening to Prof. Mohd. Yunus in my country, I am at a loss to explain. Does anyone have an answer?The writer is Under-Secretary-General, United Nations. (The opinions expressed are the writer's own.)
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=178986
