Obama confers Presidential Medal of Freedom on Dr. Muhammad Yunus August 14, 2009
Posted by bdoza in BANGLADESH, Yunus.Tags: Muhammad Yunus, Obama, Presidential Medal of Freedom, USA
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Dr. Muhammad Yunus has been conferred highest civilian honour of USA by President Obama in a marked ceremony held at White House on 12th August 2009. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was also bestowed upon 16 others citizens of the world who includes Archbishob of South Africa Desmond Tutu, leading British Scientist Stephen Hawkins and former Iris President Mary Robinson.The medal is given for “especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
President Obama lauded the contribution of Muhammad Yunus in alliviating the poverty from the world saying, ” Muhammad Yunus was just trying to help a village, but some how manage to change the world”.
In reaction in an interview Muhammad Yunus said that it is not a personal achievemnt of him, rather it’s an honour and an achievment of Bangladesh. He said that it proves Bangladesh can also do something good to the world. Microcredit which he started from a village in Bangladesh while he was a Professor of Economics in the university has now spread all over the world and virtually all the countries of the world are practicing microcredit now including the developed countries like USA, Canada and French.
It is also sad to say that when the world is recognising his contribution, some people in Bangladesh is trying to deny the impact of microcredit on the economy in Bangladesh.They say that microcredit is not enough to eradicate the poverty from the society.[DS] It’s true, microcredit alone is not enough to change the society, but in their deliberation there is a hint of denial of the impact of microcredit on the poverty in our country. This tendency of denial was also present in the past.[DS]
Dr. Yunus explained in the interview that the present banking system support the people from the upper layer of the society and it is arrested in the middle and can’t reach the people at the bottom. On the contrary, it is the microcredit which support people from the bottom of the society who have no money, no collaterals and no recommendation.
Regarding high interest rates of microcredit, he said that Grameen has 4 types of loan- one has 20% interest, the house loan has 8.5% interest, student loan has 5% which also count after the completion of the study and loan for beggers has no interest. Nearly 150000 beggers are enjoying this loan. Dr Yunus said that Grameen ensures the 100% education of the children of its clients, many of them could complete the intermediate level and enter into the universities and medical colleges becoming doctors, engineers and Ph D holders. Grameen provides scholarship to persue higher education in the foreigh countries like USA, Canada. he added that very recently 6 students had gone to Malayasia on higher studies.
On forced extraction of loan repayment system, he told that Grameen is established to ease the suffering of poor people, not to extract money in their distress. During ‘Aila’, the latest cyclone which inundated huge area along the sea belt, Grameen not only suspended the loan collection and also support the suffering people by supplying pure water and food and supporting in their rehabilatation.
On the question of increasing gap between the poor and the rich in Bangladesh as predicted by World Bank and few experts he said that statistics say that from 1990 onwards poverty decreases by 1% per year till 2000, then it decreses by 2% till 2005. The stats beyond that is yet not available. But if it continues in the same rate, we can decrease the poverty to 50% by 2015. He hoped that if it is possible to decrease the poverty by half in 2015, it is not impossible to eradicate poverty from Bangladesh by 2030.[Courtesy:NTV]
In the post ceremial reception of the award winners, Dr. Yunus requested Obama and Mitchel to visit Bangladesh which they agreed to accomplish as the time permits.
Bangladesh feel proud as a nation when Yunus got the Nobel Prive for peace in 2006. Bangladesh is again feeling proud for what Yunus has achievd fof him and for Bangladesh.
An ordinary citizen
‘Bangladesh would be able to see its dream come true’- says Nobel Committee Chairman Professor Mjos July 18, 2008
Posted by bdoza in BANGLADESH, Yunus.Tags: Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Bank, Nobel Committee, Nobel Peace prize 2006, Professor Ole Mjos
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‘Bangladesh would be able to see its dream come true’- says Nobel Committee Chairman Professor Mjos The Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Professor Ole Danish Mjos is on a visit to Bangladesh on an invitation of Dr. Muhammad yunus. Dr. Yunus first invited him while he was in Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006 at Oslo.
In Bangladesh he attended the inauguration of Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition at Grameen Bank head quarters at Mirpur,Dhaka where he opined that Bangladesh would be able to see the dream come true through building a prosperous Bangladesh free from poverty. The exhibition was organized by The Norwegian Nobel Peace Center, the Norwegian embassy and the host Grameen Bank.[DS]
Professor Mjos also addressed some 3000 students of different institutions and universities gathered at Bangladesh-China Friendship Centre on 17 July 2008. He said, ‘lets together create a world without poverty, let’s build peace and prevent war, focus on integrity, fight global warming and protect environment and let us work for a word free from nuclear weapon’. [DS]
The visit by Nobel Committee Chairman Professor Mjos to Bangladesh is very remarkable and is the recognition of Dr. Muhammad Yunus’ contribution to peace and poverty alleviation the relation of the two is defined by Mjos as ‘the struggle against poverty is the work for peace of the first order’
An ordinary citizen
Post Script:
Mijos visited Damrai, a rural area where the women changed the fate of them and their families through microfinance from Grameen Bank. Mjos was greatly impressed with the effort of these women[DS]
Mijos in an interview to Prothom Alo on 20 July, 2008 , the leading bangla daily, ‘To be mid-income country or to attain the mellenium development goal Bangladesh needs good governance in total perspective and for that competent leadership is needed. Bangladesh has many problems. Climate change due to global warming has added to the problem of poverty. So problem becomes doubles. To overcome this and to progress to success Bangladesh needs educated, competent a trained leadership.’
His comment on Dr. Yunus is also interesting. ‘Professor Yunus is a man of rare qualities. If he stayed back in USA, then he would have been acclaimed as an exceptional scholar throughout the world….’ he said.
Details of the interview[PA]
OMS, Rationing and few words from the pages of Dr. Yunus April 18, 2008
Posted by bdoza in BANGLADESH, ECONOMY, GOVERNANCE, People, Yunus.Tags: Dr.Muhammad Yunus, OMS, Rationing
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Bangladesh is passing through a very critical food crisis. To overcome the food crisis and to control the price of essentials, the government has introduced many programs which include OMS(Open Market Sale), sales through BDR shops , VGF, Work for Food Program etc.
There were suggestions for introducing rationing system also. But the government didn’t give much heed to the suggestion and give more importance to the OMS. But within days OMS service also proved to be inadequate. (more…)
A visit to Grameen-Danone: the model of social business March 25, 2008
Posted by bdoza in AGRICULTURE, BANGLADESH, ECONOMY, People, Yunus.Tags: Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Grameen, Grameen-Danone, social business
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I felt an impulse to visit the Gramen-Danone plant when I learned from the internet that Grameen Danone is built on the model of social business- a concept knitted by Dr. Muhammad Yunus. ‘Social business is not to achieve personal gain but to pursue specific social goals’ he said in his book ‘Creating a World without Poverty-social business and the future of capitalism’.
I took a break of 2 days from my job and traveled 600 km to see the project by myself.
I took primary information from one of my friends staying at Bogra. Then I contacted the Resident Engineer who was in the charge of the project over telephone and expressed my interest and hinted that I may come any day.
Bangladesh should have gone for Deep Sea Port February 28, 2008
Posted by bdoza in BANGLADESH, ECONOMY, Yunus.Tags: BNP, Caretaker Government, Deep sea port, Dr.Yunus
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Bangladesh is discussing about deep sea port since long. The last BNP govt took initiative to study the feasibility of a deep sea port. But it did not go further.
Dr. Mohammad Yunus, our Nobel laureate, in late 2006 and early 2007, in the loudest voice and in full conviction pronounced the need of a deep sea port. He also demanded setting up of a mega-port in Chittagong for exploring the potential of the area and bringing economic development.
With facilities for docking larger vessels the mega port could turn this region into a commercial hub of international standard benefiting all users, said the Nobel laureate. (more…)
Dr. Yunus on World Bank November 5, 2007
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Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus said that World Bank has failed to achieve the goal of poverty alleviation. This is because of its failure to change its policies with the change of time. To alleviate the poverty first of all World Bank is needed to reform of its structural organization.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick was on a 2 day visit to Bangladesh and had a meeting with Dr.Yunus on 4 November 2007 .
After the meeting Dr. Yunus disclosed to the journalists the above conversation he had with the WB President. He said World Bank has been established 60 years ago. In this long period World had changed a lot but the World Bank didn’t change its policies.
Dr. Yunus in ‘Council of Elders’ July 21, 2007
Posted by bdoza in BANGLADESH, PERSONALITY, Yunus.Tags: Council of elders, Dr. Yunus, PERSONALITY
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A new humanitarian alliance by the name ‘ Council of Elders’ was formed by the global leaders on the 89th birthday of Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa
The ‘Elders’ is dedicated to find new ways to foster peace and resolve global crises, to support next generation of leaders.
The E’lders’ include along with Mandela, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Carter, Tutu, Koffi Annan, Ela Bhatt, a women’s right campaigner from India; former Norwegian Prime Minister Go Harlem Brudtland; Li Zhaoxing, a former Chinese envoy to the UN, who started his diplomatic carrier in Africa, Mandela’s wife Gracia Machei, a longtime campaigner for children’s right and former Iris President Mary Robinson.
There are seven Nobel Laureattes in the group including Dr. Yunus.
Bdoza
Dr. Yunus wins again July 3, 2007
Posted by bdoza in BANGLADESH, PERSONALITY, Yunus.Tags: Dr. Yunus, microfinance, PERSONALITY
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Dr Yunus has been chosen as one of the best Social Entrepreneurs of the world of all times. This selection was made and published in the Business Week on the last 27th June 2007.
Business Week said that Dr. Yunus started his banking system by giving small loans to the village poor. Most of these loans are given to the women folk of the village. These women invest their money in different small agricultural and handicraft enterprises.
It continues that Grameen Bank which was established by Dr. Yunus now has 2422 branches. From its inception it has given more than 600 crore dollars as loan to the poor. Loan holders are also the main shareholders of the Bank. Grameen Bank became profitable within 3 years of it’s stablishments.
Other great entrepreneurs who are in the list include Bejamin Franklin(1706-1790), John D Rokfeller(1857-1945), Tomas Adison (1847-1901), Henry Ford (1863-1947), Azim Premji (1945), Oprah Winfrey(1954).
If, now retrospectively, we see how our leaders evaluated him, it will embarrass us, if not them. They tried to knock him out by malicious propaganda and false accusations because of the interest he had shown to come to politics.
He has not only withdrawn himself from politics but also withdrawn himself from the media and society also.
He had shown his good gesture to change the face of our politics and the fate of our country but we cound’t accept that.
A few days back, he had his 68th birthday passed in a very simple way in Dhaka.
Still then, he will be remembered as the first Nobel Laureate of Bangladesh and one the greatest Social Enterpreneurs of all times.
He will remain as a symbol of dedication, simplicity and greatness for the generations to come of our country and of the world.
Bangladesh
