Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus has been appointed chair of the international advisory board of Moscow’s Financial University (under the government of the Russian Federation). On November 23, he joined a high-level strategic meeting with Prof Stanislav Prokofiev, Rector of the Financial University, and his colleagues. The Financial University hosted the meeting. At the meeting, Dr Yunus was invited to be the chair of the university’s International Advisory Board. Creation of Palestine state urgent; US key actor in bringing this to reality: Dr Yunus Dr Yunus gave his consent to this appointment, the Yunus Center said today. The Financial University is one of the top five universities in Russia with 3,000 academic staff. Dr Yunus was invited to give a lecture to the faculty and students of the university last year on his thoughts on creating a new civilization based on social business, working towards achieving three zero goals – zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration, and zero unemployment. The International Advisory Board will be a deliberative collegial body. Its primary goals are to attract the best international experience, to provide in-depth expert analysis, and to prepare proposals for strategic development, as well as academic, research and innovation activities of the university. ‘False and fabricated’: Dr Yunus’ lawyer says about Tk 25.22cr embezzlement case During the meeting, the rector of the Russian university explained the role of the international advisory board in developing the university’s academic programme and in designing the future direction of research at the university. He explained how the university community admires Dr Yunus’ concept of social business. He also said that Financial University would like to introduce the concept in their academic programmes. He said that students will be encouraged to design and implement social businesses during their academic years at the university, and the institution will provide financial support to the student-entrepreneurs to start their social businesses. ‘Committed no crime, not afraid,’ says Dr Yunus at ACC The meeting was also attended by Professor Mikhail Eskindarov, President of the University; Professor Ekaterina Kameneva, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs; Professor Kirill Babaev, Director of the Center for International Scientific and Educational Projects; Liliya Prikhodko, Head of the International Relations Department; and Mikhail Mamuta, Head of the Service for the Protection of Financial Services to Consumers and Minority Shareholders, Bank of Russia, the Central Bank of Russia. The participants also discussed the prospects of cooperation between the Financial University and the Yunus Centre. Rector of the Financial University, Prof Stanislav Prokofiev, expressed his support for the ideas of social business as a guarantee for sustainable and long-term social development. Case filed against Dr Yunus at Rangpur Labour Court

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said Bangladesh has an independent judicial process and the court will take decisions based on evidence regarding Prof Muhammad Yunus. “They can observe the proceedings. We welcome that surely,” he told reporters regarding those who wrote a letter in favour of the Nobel laureate. The state minister wanted to know whether there is any instance in the world where allegations against a person cannot be investigated. Together for Yunus: World leaders past and present joined by Nobel laureates, popstars and tycoons in letter to PM “What I want to say is that there has been no influence of the government in the past, and there will be no such influence in the future either. Bangladesh’s judiciary is independent and the independent judiciary will take decisions based on evidence," said the state minister. “They must have the guts and courage to accept the verdict,” he added, describing the development as “frustrating.” The state minister for foreign affairs also said that calling for the suspension of court proceedings is “unheard of”. “I do not think those who are joining in this call in favour of Prof Yunus are doing proper justice to their own reputation,” he said. Obama writes letter of support as pressure mounts on Dr Yunus The state minister also said that the government does not want to make any comment on an issue related to court proceedings. More than 160 global leaders, including over 100 Nobel laureates, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, expressing their deep concern about the safety and wellbeing of Prof Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s first and so far, only Nobel laureate. Addressed directly to the PM, the letter is signed by Nobel laureates, elected officials, business figures, and civil society leaders. The signatories applauded Bangladesh’s remarkable progress since its independence in 1971. However, their collective concern arose from the “perceived threats to democracy and human rights” that have recently emerged within the country. Petition dismissed, Appellate Division orders to continue labour law violation case against Dr Yunus, 3 others "We respectfully ask that you immediately suspend the current judicial proceedings against Prof Yunus, followed by a review of the charges by a panel of impartial judges drawn from within your nation, with some role for internationally recognised legal experts. We are confident that any thorough review of the anti-corruption and labour law cases against him will result in his acquittal,” the letter addressed to PM Hasina reads.

More than 160 global leaders, including over 100 Nobel Laureates, have written an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressing their deep concern about the safety and well-being of Prof. Muhammad Yunus – Bangladesh's first and only Nobel Laureate. Addressed directly to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the letter is signed by Nobel Prize laureates, elected officials, business figures, and civil society leaders. The signatories applaud Bangladesh's remarkable progress since its independence in 1971. However, their collective concern arises from the “perceived threats to democracy and human rights” that have recently emerged within the country. Also read: Obama writes letter of support as pressure mounts on Dr Yunus “We write to you as Nobel Prize laureates, elected officials, and business and civil society leaders, and as friends of Bangladesh. We admire how your nation has made laudable progress since its independence in 1971,” the letter signed by, among others, Barack Obama, Jose Ramos-Horta, Mary Robinson, Mairead Corrigan-Maguire, Shirin Ebadi, Denis Mukwege, Nadia Murad, Maria Ressa, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Juan Manuel Santos, Ban Ki-moon, Laura Boldrini, Bono, and Sir Richard Branson, reads. In the letter, the signatories called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to conduct the upcoming national election in a free, transparent and fair manner. “However, we are deeply concerned by the threats to democracy and human rights that we have observed in Bangladesh recently. We believe that it is of the utmost importance that the upcoming national election be free and fair, and that the administration of the election be acceptable to all major parties in the country. The previous two national elections lacked legitimacy,” it says. Also read: Petition dismissed, Appellate Division orders to continue labour law violation case against Dr Yunus, 3 others Calling the legal proceedings against Dr Mohammad Yunus “judicial harassment”, the signatories called for an immediate suspension of the current judicial proceedings against him. “One of the threats to human rights that concern us in the present context is the case of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. We are alarmed that he has recently been targeted by what we believe to be continuous judicial harassment, the letter reads. “We respectfully ask that you immediately suspend the current judicial proceedings against Professor Yunus, followed by a review of the charges by a panel of impartial judges drawn from within your nation with some role for internationally recognized legal experts. We are confident that any thorough review of the anti-corruption and labor law cases against him will result in his acquittal.”        Also read: Labour law violation case: SC orders disposal of rule on charge framing against Dr Yunus within two weeks This latest letter was a follow up to an earlier letter sent in March. It further adds: “As you know, Professor Yunus’ work, which has been inspirational to all of us, focuses on how social business can be a force for international progress resulting in zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions. He is a leading example of how Bangladesh and Bangladeshis have contributed to global progress in recent decades. We sincerely wish that he be able to continue his path-breaking work free of persecution or harassment.” “We hope that you ensure the resolution of these legal issues in an expedient, impartial, and just manner while also ensuring a free, fair, and participatory national election in the coming months, and respect for all human rights. We will join with millions of concerned citizens around the world in closely tracking how these matters are resolved in the days ahead.” On September 9, 2021, Labour Inspector (general) SM Arifuzzaman of the Inspection for Factories and Establishments Department filed a labour law violation case against four people, including Prof Yunus, with the 3rd Labour Court of Dhaka. Also read: HC issues rule on why charge framing against Yunus, 3 others should not be scrapped According to case documents in the public domain, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) visited Grameen Telecom and uncovered various violations of the labour law. They said 101 workers were supposed to be made permanent, but were not. Workers' and welfare funds were not constituted. Additionally, 5% of the dividends of Grameen Telecom was supposed to accrue to the workers, but that didn't happen, the case filed by the DIFE in September 2021 alleged. Obama over the weekend also wrote to Yunus separately, as a sole signatory, expressing his hope that the 'Banker to the Poor' can continue to do his 'important work'. Meanwhile, 34 eminent citizens of the country in a statement published on Sunday, called upon the government to stop all sorts of harassment against Dr Yunus. Also read: Appellate Division orders Dr Yunus to pay NBR Tk 12 crore tax on donations The letter notes his lawyers' contention that the allegations brought in the case are civil in nature, yet the government has pursued a criminal case. Prof Yunus is one of only seven people to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, the US Congressional Gold Medal, and the US Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the indictment order against four people including Nobel Laureate and Chairman of the Grameen Telecom Trust Dr Muhammad Yunus in connection with a case filed for violating the Labour Law should not be scrapped. The HC bench of Justice Md. Ruhul Quddus and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das issued the rule and asked the authorities concerned including the state counsel to respond to the rule within two weeks. Advocate Abdullah Al-Mamun stood for the petitioner while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state. Appellate Division orders Dr Yunus to pay NBR Tk 12 crore tax on donations On September 9, 2021, Labour Inspector Arifuzzaman of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, filed the case with Dhaka 3rd Labour Court. The others accused in the case are- Ashraful Hasan, CEO of Grameen Telecom Trust, trustee Nurjahan Begum and managing director M Shahjahan. According to the case, in an inspection visit to Grameen Telecom inspectors of the department found that 101 workers and staff who were supposed to be permanent were not made so. Supreme Court to hear Dr Yunus's petition on July 23 No participation fund and welfare fund was formed for them and five percent of the company’s profit was not provided to the workers following the law. Upon a complaint, a criminal case was filed under sections 4, 7, 8, 117, 234 of the Labour Act. On June 6 of this year, Dhaka Labour Court-3 framed charges against the four accused. Appellate Division orders disposal of Dr Yunus’ writ petition over Grameen Kalyan Dr Yunus and three others filed a petition challenging the legality of the charge framing and seeking a stay order on trial proceedings in the case.  

Jean Tirole, a French economist who was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize for Economics, will address the 53rd convocation of the University of Dhaka (DU) scheduled to be held on November 19 this year. Tirole, whose work had a significant impact across a wide range of fields within economics, including microeconomics, game theory, and industrial organisation will join the event as the convocation speaker, DU said Wednesday. Read: 8th convocation of DIU held The date for the DU convocation was set at an online meeting today. DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman presided over it.

I vividly remember one of my most memorable trips I ever made. In the year 1955, I was part of the boy scout group who got the chance to travel to Europe and North America to the 10th World Jamboree of Boy Scouts held in Canada. I was fifteen years old. It was an unforgettable journey full of inspiration that left a lasting imprint on my mind. For instance, it was quite an experience crossing the Atlantic both ways in luxury liner ships, watching the emergence of countries in Europe from the devastation of the second world war, watching the world with eyes of a kid who grew up in the rural environment of a South Asian country. The journey was a phenomenal experience. It was a life-time learning opportunity for a fifteen year old.

History of human beings is a history of being driven basically by collective interest, not by personal interest. Economists made us believe that we are driven only by personal interest, and act accordingly through profit maximization. It is time to restore our core identity by making businesses to serve society’s needs first and foremost; profit cannot come at the expense of human well-being, and human life. Nowhere should that be more true than our health—which was enshrined by our leaders as a fundamental right when I was merely 6 years old, in the 1946 constitution of the World Health Organization.

The Appellate Division on Monday upheld a High Court order that stayed five cases against Nobel Laureate and Chairman of Grameen Communications Dr Muhammad Yunus for violating the labour law.

The World honors Nelson Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) for his lifelong struggle against racism and discrimination. This Nobel laureate served as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa. Mandela is known as the iconic figure who out won the apartheid regime of South Africa at that time. To commemorate is great leader July 18—Nelson Mandela’s birthday—is celebrated every year as ‘Nelson Mandela International Day’. While the whole world is suffering from the multifaceted effect of Corona Virus pandemic, the Nelson Mandela Day reminds us that each individual owns the ability to make a difference and the power to change the world.

Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo hoped that India will rethink its decisions about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 and National Register of Citizens (NRC).