The United States has said it wants to see a fair and transparent legal process regarding the case against Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus. "For our part, we have encouraged the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a regular media briefing at Washington on January 3. The US State Department spokesperson said Yunus has made significant contributions to the alleviation of poverty around the world, as reflected in his Nobel Peace Prize and numerous other international honors. Dr Yunus describes verdict as 'contrary to all legal precedent and logic' He said they have been following the case against him closely. "We’ve seen, of course, the widespread international criticism of the verdict," Miller said. He said they will continue to follow any further developments closely. On Monday, Labour Court No.3 of Dhaka, sentenced the microfinance pioneer and three top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months’ jail in a case over violations of the labor law. Verdict against Dr Yunus an outcome of AL govt’s political vengeance: Ganatantra Mancha In a statement published by Yunus Centre, Yunus said, “As my lawyers have convincingly argued in court, this verdict against me is contrary to all legal precedent and logic.” He pledged to serve the countrymen and the social business movement to the best of his ability. “I call for the Bangladeshi people to speak in one voice against injustice and in favor of democracy and human rights for each and every one of our citizens,” said the 83-year-old. Yunus, along with three Grameen Telecom officials, managed to avoid prison, as they were granted bail. Responding to a question on January 7 polls, US Spokesperson Miller again said they support a free and fair election in Bangladesh. "We have made that quite clear a number of times. We will watch the elections very closely," he said. But of course, the US State Department spokesperson added, he would never speculate in advance about what actions they may or may not take in response to any development. Dr Yunus was sentenced by court, AL not responsible for it: Quader

Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus has called for immediate action to create a Palestinian state. In a statement released from the Yunus Centre on Sunday (October 22, 2023), he said: "The conflict between Israel and Palestine is a very old problem which has become much more complicated now because of the treatment that the people of Palestine have been receiving from Israel.” It has been brewing over time and suddenly recently it became very explosive and unacceptable against any civilised standard, added the statement. Read: Blinken, Austin say US is ready to respond if US personnel become targets of Israel-Hamas war “The solution right now is the creation of two states, something which the United Nations has a resolution on but which remains unimplemented. There is no way to escape from this resolution if we want to bring peace to the region. The top-most priority right now is to implement the long ignored UN resolution on creating two states. Otherwise we don't know where this conflict will lead us to. It has the potential to set the whole region on fire and suck in a larger part of the world into that fire,” it further reads. "We must create the state of Palestine with extreme urgency. The key actor in bringing this to reality is the United States. If the US moves fast others will follow. The Biden administration must lead the world on this vital and urgent issue without delay. Read: Stop Israel-Palestine war, save women and children: PM Hasina urges world leaders "I urgently call upon all parties engaged in the conflict to immediately cease hostilities, ensure the safety and well-being of the innocent children and civilians caught in the midst of this crisis. It is imperative to facilitate and expedite the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the suffering population. It is time to focus on saving human lives, protect dignity and get to work on a permanent solution," he said. "Let us join hands to put an end to the suffering, ensure uninterrupted humanitarian access, and foster an environment conducive to meaningful peace negotiations and work out the modalities to create Palestine state at the fastest pace. In this day and age, we should collectively recognize that war and bloodshed are inconsistent with the values and progress of our modern civilization. The world is watching and it is our shared responsibility to work towards a future where both Palestine and Israel can co-exist in harmony and peace together with friendly collaboration,” the statement concluded. Read: Israel has right to statehood, so does Palestine: Chinese Ambassador

Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus has received ‘Champion of Global Change Award’ given by the United Nations Foundation in recognition of his enlightened leadership and innovation to enhance human dignity, equity, and justice. The United Nations Foundation gave this year’s Champion of Global Change Award to two winners on December 9, 2021. Read:Prof Yunus gets highest viewership in Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, says Yunus Centre Another winner is Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization. The Award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of individuals and organizations striving to further the work of the UN and advance its goal of a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world for everyone, everywhere. The Awards were presented in New York at ‘We The Peoples’ event, named after the inspiring opening words of the UN Charter, and to honour the profound vision of the UN’s founders. This awards’ motive is to save future generations from the scourge of war, reaffirming the faith in human rights and equal rights, ensure justice and international law, and promote social progress and freedom. Read: Prof Yunus renews call for ensuring vaccine equality breaking profit wall UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed presented the Award and interviewed Professor Yunus on stage focusing on his campaign for creating a Three Zero World. Previous honorees of Champion of Global Change Award include:   US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie.

Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), the leading university in Asean, has launched the Yunus Professional Masters in Social Business and Entrepreneurship. The professional post-graduate programme will start enrolling students in August and is likely to appeal to its intended audience of mid-career professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and AIT President Professor Eden Woon addressed the global launching of the programme online on Wednesday. Professor Faiz Shah, director of Yunus Centre at AIT and also the academic head of Yunus Professional Masters Programme, presented the details of the content of the programme, the Yunus Centre said on Friday. Also read: Dr. Yunus made chancellor of Malaysian University He said this programme is a one-of-a-kind masters degree to translate the vision of the Nobel peace laureate. Professor Yunus, a thought leader in social business and enterprise-led development, said: "The problems of the world are created in classrooms; they pass on to students only a narrow selfish narrative of the world." He said education is like watching the same side of the moon, again and again, never allowing the students to ask the question of what is on the other side of the moon. "In our campuses, we have to build new rockets and spacecraft to take us to the forbidden side of the academic moon. This masters degree will be an initiative to build that rocket to explore the other side," Professor Yunus said. President Eden Woon said Professor Yunus has inspired millions around the world. "This programme will be highly attractive in this day and age when the world is not doing very well." Also read: It’s universities’ job to redesign economic theories: Dr Yunus The degree will be a curated programme, built from the School of Environment, Resources and Development and School of Management of AIT, containing an integrated practicum led by Professor Yunus, and connected with the social business academia network connecting 91 universities located in five continents. Students learn development precepts and management principles through regular coursework and acquire practical exposure through the internship integrated into the Yunus Colloquium. AIT, the entrepreneurial heartland of Asia, has accomplished the rank of top 20 in a global ranking for its commitment and performance around integrating the UN SDGs, particularly eliminating poverty, into the curriculum and research.

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.

Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus has expressed deep shock at the death of former Principal of Notre Dame College and a US national Father Richard William Timm, saying that Bangladesh will forever miss him.