Ishtiaq Fardin  journalist, columnist, and author.

Recently, 40 global figures expressed their “deep concerns for the well-being” of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus in an open letter to prime minister Sheikh Hasina, which appeared as a full-page ad in the Washington Post on Tuesday, 7 March 2023. Citing the achievements of Yunus and Grameen Initiatives, global figures including former UN General Secretary Ban-Ki Moon and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Bangladesh to stop government investigation on these organizations to end the ‘harassment’ of the Noble Laureate.

This is not the first-time global leaders tried putting pressure on Bangladesh regarding Professor Yunus. Since the current ruling party of Bangladesh came into power, Yunus accused he was becoming the target of the government’s hateful politics. Previously when he was asked to step down as head of the Grameen bank, he tried to gather mass attention by involving international big fishes. But it is a matter of sorrow that these efforts are not doing anything good but defame Bangladesh. Now as a veteran professor and economist, Yunus needs to go by the law rather than playing the victim card.

Allegations against Professor Yunus in home

Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who was once applauded at home and abroad for his efforts to end poverty, has seen a significant decline in his reputation because of his controversial role in Bangladesh on several issues, ranging from influencing the World Bank to scrapping the Padma Bridge financing, tax evasion, illegal transfer of donor funds, misuse of power and violating foreign travel regulations. He has been embroiled in controversy in 2015 as he was summoned by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) authorities over non-payment of taxes to the tune of Tk 153.9 million against Tk 770 million that his family members and others got as a gift.

There are also widespread allegations that Dr. Yunus, the Grameen Bank founder, had illegally transferred funds from 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.

However, his organization was the subject of numerous inquiries and accusations due to its allegedly shady organizational structure. There are widespread allegations that Dr. Yunus, the Grameen Bank founder, had illegally transferred funds from 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.

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. Also, people at home and abroad know very well that he played a role of a key perpetrator in scrapping WB’s credit for Padma Bridge as he has special intimacy with Hillary.

Professor Yunus needs to stop calling foreign friends

The Yunus controversy in Bangladesh began decades ago. But in 2011, when Bangladeshi government authorities pressured him to step down from the bank’s MD, international pressure began to come. Some global leaders and friends of Yunus called the Prime Minister of Bangladesh several times, but Sheikh Hasina told them that the law didn’t allow Dr. Yunus to remain as MD of Grameen Bank. As per the law, the retirement age is 60. Yunus was 70 at the time. His review petitions were rejected by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in May 2011.

Then Yunus had hatched a deep conspiracy against the Awami League-led government only to cling to the post of managing director of the Grameen Bank. He had engaged then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Cherry Blair, spouse of the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to lobby for him in getting back the MD post. Throughout the process, he pleaded for help in messages routed to Clinton, and she ordered aides to find ways to assist him.

Previously he had ordered the American affiliates of his non-profit Grameen Bank which had been working with the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Global Initiative programs as early as 2005, to donate between $100,000 and $ 250,000 to the foundation. Grameen Research, another Grameen wing chaired by Dr. Yunus, donated between $25,000 and $50,000 to Clinton’s Foundation. These donations might be well linked with Hillary’s support to empower him as a political leader in Bangladesh. Later, it was revealed that sacked Dr. Yunus had desperately asked for Hillary Clinton’s help in ending his feud with Sheikh Hasina-led government over the control of Grameen Bank.

It is important to note that the government has no selective outrage for Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank. After the 1998 devastating flood, the AL government invested Tk 4 billion in Grameen Bank for the sake of the people hit by the natural calamity. After assuming office for the first term, Sheikh Hasina gave a license to Grameen Phone and to Dr. Yunus in the name of Grameen Bank. At that time, it was stated that money from Grameen Phone will be credited to Grameen Bank. Even now the government is trying to find corruption and irregularities in Grameen bank, not blaming Yunus. It seems Professor Yunus’ insecurity leads him to believe that these lawsuits and investigations are aimed at harassing him. His insecurities came from his imprudent political decision and over-reliance on influential global friends.

Today, there is no open investigation against Professor Yunus. The Investigations are against the social business entities he established, not him. The State apparatus, including ACC and NBR, is only doing its routine work probing into the Grameen firms, not into the individual, Professor Muhammad Yunus. The Investigations are only routine work, and they are not ‘harassment’. The only harassing part, perhaps, is the extra attention from the media into such regular probes by ACC and NBR, and the press covers attentively due to the news value of Professor Yunus. As a responsible citizen, Yunus must comprehend the situation and refrain from any controversial act that is against Bangladeshi laws. Also, he needs to stop calling his foreign friends to put advertisement in foreign media as that may only pressure and defame the government.