BANGLADESH NEWS
Dhaka, May Local Government Minister Syed Ashraful Islam once again on Thursday criticised the country's top microcredit operator Grameen Bank and its Nobel prize-winning former managing director Muhammad Yunus.
"The country cannot be developed through multilevel marketing companies and NGOs based on illegal money from abroad. Microcredit won't change our fates and it won't be able to change Bangladesh in the next 100 years," he said at a programme at the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
Ashraf's remarks came in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, five days after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her concern over the Grameen Bank imbroglio during her 24-hour visit to Dhaka.
Criticising Yunus winning the Nobel prize, he said, "His [Yunus] basic subject was Economics. But he did not get the prize for Economics. He got the Nobel prize in peace though he did not play any role in stopping a war."
"Now, many people in our country know how to 'get a Nobel prize'," the ruling Awami League general secretary added.
Following a 'confrontation' with Sheikh Hasina government and allegation of transferring funds without donor's permission, Yunus had been removed from the bank as its managing director last year. The government also said that he was overage as per the law to continue in the office.
During her visit to Bangladesh on Sunday, Hillary Clinton told a programme in Dhaka, "We do not want to see any action taken that would in any way undermine or interfere in the operations of the Grameen Bank or its unique organisational structure.
"I don't want anything that would in any way undermine what has been a wonderful model."
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Tuesday also criticised Clinton for her remarks saying the government has not changed its stance about the microfinance organisation.
"Hillary's statement on the Grameen Bank was undue. The Grameen Bank is an organisation established by the government. It is because of the government that Mr Yunus could come this far," Muhith said.
"The country cannot be developed through multilevel marketing companies and NGOs based on illegal money from abroad. Microcredit won't change our fates and it won't be able to change Bangladesh in the next 100 years," he said at a programme at the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
Ashraf's remarks came in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, five days after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her concern over the Grameen Bank imbroglio during her 24-hour visit to Dhaka.
Criticising Yunus winning the Nobel prize, he said, "His [Yunus] basic subject was Economics. But he did not get the prize for Economics. He got the Nobel prize in peace though he did not play any role in stopping a war."
"Now, many people in our country know how to 'get a Nobel prize'," the ruling Awami League general secretary added.
Following a 'confrontation' with Sheikh Hasina government and allegation of transferring funds without donor's permission, Yunus had been removed from the bank as its managing director last year. The government also said that he was overage as per the law to continue in the office.
During her visit to Bangladesh on Sunday, Hillary Clinton told a programme in Dhaka, "We do not want to see any action taken that would in any way undermine or interfere in the operations of the Grameen Bank or its unique organisational structure.
"I don't want anything that would in any way undermine what has been a wonderful model."
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Tuesday also criticised Clinton for her remarks saying the government has not changed its stance about the microfinance organisation.
"Hillary's statement on the Grameen Bank was undue. The Grameen Bank is an organisation established by the government. It is because of the government that Mr Yunus could come this far," Muhith said.
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