The United States has said it is closely monitoring the developments in the case against Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. “We will continue to encourage the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for Dr. Yunus as the appeals process continues,” said Mathew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, during a regular briefing on June 4. Miller expressed concerns that these cases might represent a “misuse” of Bangladesh’s labor laws to “harass and intimidate” Dr. Yunus. Court sets June 12 for decision on whether Yunus to go on trial in embezzlement case “We also worry that the perceived misuse of labor and anti-corruption laws could raise questions about the rule of law and dissuade foreign direct investment,” he added. The government of Bangladesh has maintained that it is not a party to the case involving Dr. Muhammad Yunus and emphasized the independence and transparency of its judicial process. “With due respect to Dr. Yunus, I would like to say that the judicial process of Bangladesh is transparent. That's why many members of the ruling party face trials and even jail sentences,” Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told journalists recently. Dr Yunus suffering for deceiving 1.05 cr Grameen Bank members, says the bank’s Chief Legal Advisor

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has said empowering women by turning them into entrepreneurs is key to the overall development of society and the focus of any government should be on creating entrepreneurs, not job seekers. Yunus was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Bodoland Knowledge Festival in Kokrajhar, the administrative headquarters of the Bodoland Autonomous Region of Assam. He was invited as the chief guest at the festival which took place from February 27 to March 2. Yunus said: "We just do not give a chance to people to become entrepreneurs. We push them to become job-seeker instead." "Grameen Bank's initiatives could bring a change in Bangladesh by turning women into entrepreneurs. "If 10 million women (borrowers of Grameen Bank) could become entrepreneurs, then we can easily conclude anybody can become an entrepreneur." The festival focused on implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and the world at large. Issues discussed included science and technology, indigenous knowledge systems, women empowerment, child rights and protection, peace-building and good governance, and the role of BTR. More than 300 delegates from across India, and 35 from 14 countries participated in the festival. Besides addressing the festival, Yunus spoke at Bodoland College and Bodoland University. He spoke to the students and teachers at Rangiya College and Guwahati University. He had an intensive exchange of thoughts on education with the vice-chancellors of 10 universities in Assam in a special session on the sideline of the Bodoland Knowledge Festival. BTR was created through a peace treaty in 2020 after almost 30 years of underground armed struggle by Bodos of Assam demanding a separate state for them. Many people gave their lives in the struggle. Under the peace treaty, an autonomous Bodoland territorial region was created under the leadership of Promod Boro who became the first chief executive of the autonomous Bodo territory to ensure autonomy for the Bodo people. Knowledge Festival was the first international event organised by the Bodoland Territorial Council to get connected with the bigger world to find ideas to bring changes to Bodo people.  

Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has recently launched a long-term partnership with one of the world’s largest business platforms in the football industry - the World Football Summit - to help solve human and environmental problems via the world’s most popular sport. The World Football Summit regularly brings together the football industry’s leading stakeholders to spark discussion, generate knowledge and promote innovation to drive progress for the game and the industry. The partnership will begin at the 2022 World Football Summit event on 28 and 29 September, in which Professor Yunus and the Yunus Sports Hub will participate in different activations, both before and during the summit. Read: Case against Prof Yunus: Final hearing on scrapping case on Aug 11 Yunus, Founder of the Grameen Bank and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, has long advocated for the world’s most significant institutions to solve human and environmental problems. As the pioneer of the global social business movement, Professor Yunus has spent the last 30 years working with social entrepreneurs all over the globe to build and grow enterprises that help others out of poverty and are not measured purely by profit. Recognising the unique power of sport to galvanise the world, in 2018 Professor Yunus launched the Yunus Sports Hub; a social business itself. In 2021, he became only the second recipient of the Olympic Laurel, recognising his extensive work in sport for development with organisations including the International Olympic Committee and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee.

The 12th Social Business Day, hosted by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, began on Monday with focus on healthcare, fighting unemployment, cross country collaboration in tackling climate change, 3Zero Clubs and all aspects of building a New Civilisation. A series of African universities such as Catholic University of Zimbabwe along with Kampala International University and Makerere University Business School, Uganda, Tangaza University College, Kenya, Abomey Calavi of Benin, CAM School of Business from Central African Republic have arranged the hybrid (both online and in person) event  to showcase all regional social business practitioners, academics, promoters, and friends. The four-day event will end on Thursday with a theme ‘Building a New Civilisation—Before the Current Civilisation Destroys Us,’ according to a press release issued by the Yunus Centre. Read: Yunus for creating social business pharm companies to bring vaccines, medicines to common people The current civilisation which is based on profit maximisation has set us on a suicidal path.  Global warming, wealth concentration, and unemployment caused by artificial intelligence are leading us to our ultimate extinction.  "Our window of opportunity to put humanity on a new path towards a new direction is getting smaller and smaller. We must prepare the seed-bed of a new civilisation before the opportunity slips away,” said the media release. Read Prof Yunus gets highest viewership in Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, says Yunus Centre “The new civilisation has to be built on an economy based primarily on zero personal profit to solve the problems of the people and the planet. Social business presents this option. Social business aims at finding compassionate, practical, and long-lasting solutions to social issues while expanding opportunities for the people and the economy. The new civilisation will analyse the breakthroughs achieved while preparing for the next leg of our journey before our time runs out.” There will be 150+ speakers, which includes 30 globally prominent speakers, 14 country forums, 16 plenary sessions during the four days.  More than 700 registered participants from 66 countries are joining globally. Read: Grameen Yemen launches microcredit, Social Business in Yemen There will be keynote speeches from President José Ramos-Horta, 1996 Nobel Peace Laureate and President of East Timor, Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Chair, Nobel Women's Initiative, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE , founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, UNAIDS, Máiread Maguire, 1976 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Dr. Devi Shetty, Managing Director, Narayana Hrudayalaya. The event included the annual convention of the ‘3ZERO Clubs,’ a global initiative for the youth aimed at realising a World of 3ZEROS: zero net carbon emission, zero wealth concentration for ending poverty, and zero unemployment through entrepreneurship. This convention of the youths will give an opportunity to the members of senior generations to listen to the issues being discussed by the present day youth and catch any opportunity to build bridges among the generations. Read Grameen America Inc receives $25 million grant from MacKenzie Scott Besides, some sessions will be hosted in languages in Bengali, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, French and Portuguese; these sessions will be simultaneously presented during country-specific forums, the release added. Country Forums for countries and regions where the social business concept is in practical use are planned to be held.  Country Forums will be devoted to sharing experiences, exploring potential, and analysing the actual practice of social businesses within each country, or group of countries.  The discussion will take place in the language of that country, and will be headed by practitioners of these different countries. Read 74th UNGA side event on Social Business, Youth and Technology held Closing speeches will be presented by Marina Mahathir Writer, Human Rights Activist, Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Andrea Jung, President and Chief Executive Officer, Grameen America, Dr. Antonella Mei-Pochtler, Special Advisor to the Federal Chancellor, Head of Strategy Unit – ThinkAustria, Forest Whitaker, UN SDG Advocate, Founder and CEO, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate, Sharon Stone actor and activist and Zanele Mbeki Former First Lady of South Africa. Every year, Social Business Day is organised to discuss and celebrate the groundbreaking idea of social business.  This event also creates an opportunity for participants to engage in various interactive panel sessions and workshops to broaden their understanding in their specific areas of interest. Read Prof Yunus invited to join Padma Bridge inaugural programme Social Business Day is an annual event gathering that platforms the accumulated experiences of social business leaders and entrepreneurship to give shape to the future.

Grameen Yemen has started microcredit and social business in Yemen disbursing its first micro loans recently.