Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday invited Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus to a debate with her on issues concerning him. “There is nothing to be jealous of. He may come and have a debate with me as is done in the USA,” she said. The premier said while replying to a question at the press conference arranged in Ganabhaban over the outcomes of her India visit. She said Yunus availed most financial and other benefits from her. “It is right; we promoted him very much,” she added. “Sheikh Hasina feels no jealousy with anyone. Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. None can come up at least to this position. I feel proud of it,” she said, adding that the prime ministership is a temporary thing. The PM said she always protects the interest of the country. “I never sell the country or the interests of the country (to anyone),” she said. Hasina said she has been working always for the protection of the country’s independence and sovereignty, and for the people of the country so that they can move, raising their heads high. Pointing at the countries which are vocal on the issue of Yunus, the PM questioned what action they would have taken if anyone evades taxes years after years and if anyone embezzles the money of the Labour welfare fund and doesn’t pay the dues of the workers. “He hasn't paid a single penny to the Labour welfare fund since 2006,” she said. She said the workers filed a case with the Labour court and he was convicted in that case. “What is my fault here?” asked Hasina. She said Grameen Bank was established during the regime of HM Ershad and Dr Yunus was made its Managing Director. “But he didn't (establish) this bank himself,” she added. She said he used to do a job as the managing director and drew the salary at the bank which is a statutory organisation. The salary and other things were provided from the government, she went on.  But a campaign was done in such a way as if he (Dr Yunus) had established this bank, said Hasina.  She noted that Yunus' microcredit scheme was not acceptable as  the borrowers  had to pay upto 40-45 percent interest for loans. She questioned why the poverty was not alleviated with his microcredit scheme in the country when it was so effective. “It is I who alleviated poverty in Bangladesh. I brought down the poverty rate to 18.7 percent from 41.6 in only 15 years,” said the premier. I’ve no desire for Nobel prize:  Sheikh Hasina said she has no conflict with anyone and never has a desire to get a Nobel Prize.  Citing her role for the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in1997, Sheikh Hasina said it was a unique peace accord as some 1800 armed persons surrendered and submitted their arms. She said many noted personalitie at home and abroad wrote for giving her the Nobel Prize after the peace accord, but she never wented to tell them such, she said. “When the MD of a bank obtains a Nobel prize, why would I go to contest with him,” she asked. The PM went to New Delhi on June 21 on a two-day state visit to India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. This was the first bilateral visit by any head of government to India after the BJP-led alliance formed its government for the third consecutive term following the Lok Sabha elections. During the visit, Dhaka and New Delhi signed 7 Memorandums of Understanding and renewed three others to further consolidate the ever-growing relationship between the two neighbouring countries. Awami League general secretary and also road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, Deputy Leader of the House Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, PM’s Private Industry and Invest Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, AL presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim MP and Kazi Zafarullah were on the dais.  PM’s Press Secretary Md Nayeemul Islam Khan conducted the press conference.

Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus was hosted by US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, at a dinner on March 4 to meet with Greg Nelson, Chief Technology Officer of Opportunity International. The organisation promotes and implements microfinance programmes around the world. They discussed the health programmes of Grameen and Opportunity International and about possible collaboration between the two organisations, said the Yunus Centre on Tuesday. Read more: ‘Lobbyist-backed’ statement on Dr Yunus won’t impact FDI, Hasan Mahmud says Amy Haas, Laurie Nelson and Nurjahan Begum, Executive Vice Chairman of Grameen Shikhha, were present on the occasion. US Ambassador Haas on his LinkedIn posted: “It was an incredible privilege to speak with the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus and Nurjahan Begum about their remarkable work towards improving the lives of people worldwide. Their contributions have made a significant impact and continue to inspire us all. Thank you for the work you do.” Read more: Govt is not harassing Dr Yunus with false cases: Law Minister

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday (January 30, 2024) said what appeared on Washington Post regarding Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus was an advertisement, not a statement.  “Washington Post published it as an advertisement. That is an advertisement, not news. Clearly, it was done by a lobbyist firm,” he told reporters while responding to a question.  The Foreign Minister said the lobbyist firm also did the same in the past.  Read: Festivals like DIFF enhance country’s image globally: Dr Hasan Mahmud  He said Bangladesh’s judiciary is transparent and the government is not a party to Yunus’ case. Dr Hasan said the aggrieved people of Yunus’ organization filed the case and the trial is underway in a very transparent way. Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus on Sunday claimed that it was the government, not the workers of his company, who filed the labor law violation case against him. When his attention was drawn to the claim, the Foreign Minister on Monday said, “With due respect to him, I would like to say that what he said is not correct.” The minister said that the aggrieved workers of Yunus’ company filed the case as they were deprived of what they deserve. Read: Sheikh Hasina’s leadership is needed for a developed Bangladesh: Dr Hasan Mahmud More than 241 global leaders, including more than 125 Nobel laureates, expressed their concern over the “continuous judicial harassment and potential jailing” of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus in a third open letter to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On January 1, 2024, Professor Yunus and three Grameen Telecom colleagues were convicted of labor law violations, sentenced to six months in jail, and given bail while appeals are considered. 

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday (January 25, 2024) said any statement “backed by lobbyists” on Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus would have no adverse impact on foreign investment inflow into the country. “Look, there are several lobbyist firms engaged behind some people who are talking on the Dr Yunus issue. Investment will not be impacted if a statement is backed by lobbyists,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Minister said Dr Yunus has been in the discussion over the last 12 years and Bangladesh still received significant foreign investment. Read: China is an important dev and strategic partner of Bangladesh: PM Hasina “Foreign investment is increasing. There is no relation with that. This is simply a legal matter,” said the Awami League joint general secretary. He reiterated that Dr Yunus has been sentenced in a case filed by the aggrieved people, and the government is not a party to it. “With due respect to Dr Yunus, I would like to say that aggrieved people filed the case. The government is not a party to it. It is a decision taken by the court. The government cannot interfere in it,” he said. Earlier, a Dhaka court sentenced Dr Yunus and three top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months’ jail, with fine of Tk 25000 each, in a case over violation of labor law. Read: Russian Ambassador hopes Dhaka-Moscow relations will continue to thrive The others accused in the case are: Ashraful Hasan, CEO of Grameen Telecom Trust; trustee Nurjahan Begum; and managing director M Shahjahan. They were accused of not making some workers and employees of Grameen Telecom permanent, not encashing public leave, and not depositing certain dividends to the Workers Welfare Foundation. In the 84-page verdict, the judge said the charges of violating labor laws were proved against them. The court, however, granted them conditional bail. Dr Yunus claimed that he had been punished for a crime he did not commit. “I have been punished for a crime that I haven’t committed,” Yunus told reporters after he was convicted in a case over violation of labor law. “If you want to call it justice, you can.” Read more: Dr Yunus appointed chair of Moscow Financial University’s international advisory board

A court here on Sunday granted bail to Nobel Laureate and Chairman of Grameen Communications Dr Muhammad Yunus and three others in a case filed for violating the labour law.