Jump to content

Muhammad Yunus

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other people with similar names, see Mohammad Yunus (disambiguation).

The Honourable
Muhammad Yunus
মুহাম্মদ ইউনূস
Yunus in 2024
5th Chief Adviser of Bangladesh
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 August 2024
PresidentMohammed Shahabuddin
Preceded bySheikh Hasina
(as Prime Minister)
Personal details
Born (1940-06-28) 28 June 1940 (age 84)
Hathazari, Bengal Province, British India
Citizenship
Political partyIndependent (2007–present)
Other political
affiliations		Nagorik Shakti (2007)
Spouses
  • Vera Forostenko
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1970; div. 1979)​
  • Afrozi Yunus
    ​
    (m. 1983)​
Children
RelativesMuhammad Ibrahim (brother)
Residence(s)Jamuna State House, Dhaka
Education
Occupation
  • Economist
  • Entrepreneur
  • Civil society leader
Awards
Signature
Websitemuhammadyunus.org
Academic work
DisciplineEconomics
School or tradition
Institutions
Notable works

Muhammad Yunus[a] (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi economist, entrepreneur, politician, and civil society leader, who has been serving as Chief Adviser (interim head of government) of the interim government of Bangladesh since 8 August 2024.[1] Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance.[2] Yunus has received several other national and international honors, including the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.[3]

In 2012, Yunus became Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, a position he held until 2018.[4][5] Previously, he was a professor of economics at Chittagong University in Bangladesh.[6] He published several books related to his finance work. He is a founding board member of Grameen America and Grameen Foundation, which support microcredit.[7] Yunus also served on the board of directors of the United Nations Foundation, a public charity to support UN causes, from 1998 to 2021.[8] In 2022, he partnered with Global Esports Federation to build esports for the development movement.[9][10]

Following the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, President Mohammed Shahabuddin gave Yunus a mandate to form an interim government, acceding to calls from student leaders for his appointment.[11] His government has appointed a Constitutional Reform Commission to draft a revision to the Constitution of Bangladesh and has pledged the convocation of a constituent assembly.[12] His acquittal on appeal the following day of charges of labour code violations, which were viewed as politically motivated, facilitated his return to the country and appointment.[13] His name was listed in The 500 Most Influential Muslims in 2024.[14]

Early life and education

Early years

Yunus as a Boy Scout, in 1953

The third of nine children,[15] Muhammad Yunus was born on 28 June 1940 to a Bengali family of Muslim Saudagars in the village of Bathua, by the Kaptai road at Hathazari in the Chittagong District of Bengal Presidency (now in Bangladesh).[16][17] His father was Haji Muhammad Dula Mia Soudagar, a jeweller, and his mother was Sufia Khatun. His early childhood was spent in the village. In 1944, his family moved to the city of Chittagong, and he moved from his village school to Lamabazar Primary School.[16][18] By 1949, his mother was afflicted with psychological illness.[17] Later, he passed the matriculation examination from Chittagong Collegiate School ranking 16th of 39,000 students in East Pakistan.[18] During his school years, he was an active Boy Scout, and travelled to West Pakistan and India in 1952, and to Canada in 1955 to attend Jamborees.[18] Later, while Yunus was studying at Chittagong College, he became active in cultural activities and won awards for drama.[18] In 1957, he enrolled in the Department of Economics at Dhaka University and completed his BA in 1960 and MA in 1961.[19][20]

After graduation

Yunus visiting Chittagong Collegiate School, in 2003

After his graduation, Yunus joined the Bureau of Economics as a research assistant to the economics researches of Nurul Islam and Rehman Sobhan.[18] Later, he was appointed lecturer in economics in Chittagong College in 1961.[18] During that time, he also set up a profitable packaging factory on the side.[17] In 1965, he received a Fulbright scholarship to study in the United States. He obtained his PhD in economics from the Vanderbilt University Graduate Program in Economic Development (GPED) in 1971.[21][22] From 1969 to 1972, Yunus was the assistant professor of economics at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.[19][20]

During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Yunus founded a citizen's committee and ran the Bangladesh Information Center, with other Bangladeshis in the United States, to raise support for liberation.[18] He also published the Bangladesh Newsletter from his home in Nashville. After the War, he returned to Bangladesh and was appointed to the government's Planning Commission headed by Nurul Islam. However, he found the job boring and resigned to join Chittagong University as head of the Economics department.[23] After observing the famine of 1974, he became involved in poverty reduction and established a rural economic programme as a research project. In 1975, he developed a Nabajug Tebhaga Khamar (lit. 'New Era Three-share Farm') which the government adopted as the Packaged Input Programme.[18] To make the project more effective, Yunus and his associates proposed the Gram Sarkar (lit. 'Village government') programme.[24] Introduced by President Ziaur Rahman in the late 1970s, the government formed 40,392 village governments as a fourth layer of government in 2003. On 2 August 2005, in response to a petition by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), the High Court declared village governments illegal and unconstitutional.[25]

His concept of microcredit for supporting innovators in multiple developing countries also inspired programmes such as the Info lady Social Entrepreneurship Programme.[26][27][28]

Early career

Main article: Grameen Bank
Further information: Grameen family of organizations
Grameen Bank Head Office at Mirpur-2, Dhaka

In 1976, during visits to the poorest households in the village of Jobra near Chittagong University, Yunus discovered that very small loans could make a disproportionate difference to a poor person. Village women who made bamboo furniture had to take usurious loans to buy bamboo, and repay their profits to the lenders. Traditional banks did not want to make tiny loans at reasonable interest to the poor due to high risk of default.[29] But Yunus believed that, given the chance, the poor will not need to pay high interest on the money, can keep any profits from their own labour, and hence microcredit was a viable business model.[30] Yunus lent US$27 of his money to 42 women in the village, who made a profit of BDT 0.50 (US$0.02) each on the loan.[citation needed] Thus, Yunus is credited with the idea of microcredit.[10]

In December 1976, Yunus finally secured a loan from the government Janata Bank to lend to the poor in Jobra. The institution continued to operate, securing loans from other banks for its projects. By 1982, it had 28,000 members. On 1 October 1983, the pilot project began operation as a full-fledged bank for poor Bangladeshis and was renamed Grameen Bank ("Village Bank"). By July 2007, Grameen had issued US$6.38 billion to 7.4 million borrowers.[31] To ensure repayment, the bank uses a system of "solidarity groups". These small informal groups apply together for loans and its members act as co-guarantors of repayment and support one another's efforts at economic self-advancement.[24]

In the late 1980s, Grameen started to diversify by attending to underutilized fishing ponds and irrigation pumps like deep tube wells.[32] In 1989, these diversified interests started growing into separate organisations. The fisheries project became Grameen Motsho ("Grameen Fisheries Foundation") and the irrigation project became Grameen Krishi ("Grameen Agriculture Foundation").[32] In time, the Grameen initiative grew into a multi-faceted group of profitable and non-profit ventures, including major projects like Grameen Trust and Grameen Fund, which runs equity projects like Grameen Software Limited, Grameen CyberNet Limited, and Grameen Knitwear Limited,[33] as well as Grameen Telecom, which has a stake in Grameenphone (GP), the biggest private phone company in Bangladesh.[34] From its start in March 1997 to 2007, GP's Village Phone (Polli Phone) project had brought cell-phone ownership to 260,000 rural poor in over 50,000 villages.[35]

In 1974 we ended up with a famine in the country. People were dying of hunger and not having enough to eat. And that's a terrible situation to see around you. And I was feeling terrible that here I teach elegant theories of economics, and those theories are of no use at the moment with the people who are going hungry. So I wanted to see if as a person, as a human being, I could be of some use to some people.

– Muhammad Yunus while talking about reason behind creating Grameen Bank[36]

The success of the Grameen microfinance model inspired similar efforts in about 100 developing countries and even in developed countries including the United States.[37] Many microcredit projects retain Grameen's emphasis of lending to women. More than 94% of Grameen loans have gone to women, who suffer disproportionately from poverty and who are more likely than men to devote their earnings to their families.[38]

For his work with Grameen, Yunus was named an Ashoka: Innovators for the Public Global Academy Member in 2001.[39] According to Rashidul Bari, the Grameen's social business model has gone from being theory to an inspiring practice adopted globally by leading universities, entrepreneurs, social business and corporations.[40]

Recognition

Main article: List of awards and honours received by Muhammad Yunus
Yunus at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway

Yunus was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Grameen Bank, for their efforts to create economic and social development:

Muhammad Yunus has shown himself to be a leader who has managed to translate visions into practical action for the benefit of millions of people, not only in Bangladesh, but also in many other countries. Loans to poor people without any financial security had appeared to be an impossible idea. From modest beginnings three decades ago, Yunus has, first and foremost through Grameen Bank, developed micro-credit into an ever more important instrument in the struggle against poverty.

— Norwegian Nobel Committee[41]

Yunus was the first Bangladeshi to ever get a Nobel Prize. He established Grameen Bank in 1983, which plays a significant role in poverty alleviation in various countries of the world including Bangladesh. In 2006, he and the Grameen Bank he founded jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize.[42] After receiving the news of the important award, Yunus announced that he would use part of his share of the $1.4 million (equivalent to $2.12 million in 2023) award money to create a company to make low-cost, high-nutrition food for the poor; while the rest would go towards establishing the Yunus Science and Technology University in his home district as well as setting up an eye hospital for the poor in Bangladesh.[43]

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton was a vocal advocate for the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Yunus. He expressed this in Rolling Stone magazine[44] as well as in his autobiography My Life.[45] In a speech given at University of California, Berkeley in 2002, President Clinton described Yunus as "a man who long ago should have won the Nobel Prize [in Economics and] I'll keep saying that until they finally give it to him."[46] Conversely, The Economist stated explicitly that while Yunus was doing excellent work to fight poverty, it was not appropriate to award him the Peace Prize, stating: "... the Nobel committee could have made a braver, more difficult, choice by declaring that there would be no recipient at all."[47]

Yunus at the Annual Meeting 2009 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland

He is one of only seven persons to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, Presidential Medal of Freedom,[48] and the Congressional Gold Medal.[49] Other notable awards include the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1984,[24] the World Food Prize,[50] the International Simon Bolivar Prize (1996),[51] the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord[52] and the Sydney Peace Prize in 1998,[53] and the Seoul Peace Prize in 2006. Additionally, Yunus has been awarded 50 honorary doctorate degrees from universities across 20 countries, and 113 international awards from 26 countries including state honours from 10 countries.[54][55][56] Bangladesh government brought out a commemorative stamp to honour his Nobel Award.[57]

Yunus was named by Fortune Magazine in March 2012 as one of 12 greatest entrepreneurs of the current era.[58] In its citation, Fortune Magazine said "Yunus' idea inspired countless numbers of young people to devote themselves to social causes all over the world."[59]

In January 2008, Houston, Texas declared 14 January as "Muhammad Yunus Day".[60]

Yunus was named among the most desired thinkers the world should listen to by the FP 100 (world's most influential elite) in the December 2009 issue of Foreign Policy magazine.[61]

Yunus with Brazilian President Lula Da Silva (right) in 2008 after winning Nobel Peace Prize

In 2010, the British magazine New Statesman listed Yunus at 40th in the list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".[62]

Muhammad Yunus in Switzerland (1995).

Yunus received 50 honorary doctorate degrees from universities from Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, and the US.[63] United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon invited Yunus to serve as an MDG Advocate. Yunus sits on the Board of United Nations Foundation, Schwab Foundation, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Grameen Credit Agricole Microcredit Foundation. He has been a member of Fondation Chirac's honour committee,[64] ever since the foundation was launched in 2008 by former French president Jacques Chirac in order to promote world peace.[65]

Yunus has become a well-known international figure. He has delivered numerous lectures around the world,[66][67][68][69][70] and has appeared on popular television shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2006, The Colbert Report in 2008, Real Time with Bill Maher in 2009 and The Simpsons in 2010.[71] On Google+, Yunus was one of the most followed people worldwide, with over two million followers until Google closed its operations in 2019.[72]

He has played a key advisory role in the Paris 2024 Olympics, promoting social business principles and encouraging sustainable, socially responsible projects. His influence led to initiatives like prioritizing social businesses in public tenders and integrating social housing into the athletes' village redevelopment.[73]

Political career

Yunus as the chief adviser of the interim government, September 2024

In July 2007, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel and Desmond Tutu convened a group of world leaders "to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackle some of the world's toughest problems."[74] Nelson Mandela announced the formation of this new group, The Elders, in a speech he delivered on the occasion of his 89th birthday.[75] Yunus attended the launch of the group and was one of its founding members. He stepped down as an Elder in September 2009, stating that he was unable to do justice to his membership due to the demands of his work.[76]

Yunus is a member of the Africa Progress Panel (APP), a group of ten distinguished individuals who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable development in Africa. Every year, the Panel releases a report, the Africa Progress Report, that outlines an issue of immediate importance to the continent and suggests a set of associated policies.[77] In July 2009, Yunus became a member of the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation International Advisory Board to support the organisation's poverty reduction work.[78] Since 2010, Yunus has served as a Commissioner for the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, a UN initiative which seeks to use broadband internet services to accelerate social and economic development.[79] In March 2016, he was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth, which was co-chaired by presidents François Hollande of France and Jacob Zuma of South Africa.[80] Following the Rohingya genocide in 2016–2017, Yunus urged Myanmar to end violence against Rohingya Muslims.[81]

Advisor to the Caretaker Government

In 1996, Muhammad Yunus served as an advisor to the caretaker government led by former Chief Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman. He was responsible for overseeing the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests.[82][83]

Nagorik Shakti

See also: Nagorik Shakti

In early 2006, Yunus, along with other members of the civil society including Rehman Sobhan, Muhammad Habibur Rahman, Kamal Hossain, Matiur Rahman, Mahfuz Anam and Debapriya Bhattacharya, participated in a campaign for honest and clean candidates in national elections.[84] He considered entering politics in the later part of that year.[85] On 11 February 2007, Yunus wrote an open letter, published in the Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star, where he asked citizens for views on his plan to float a political party to establish political goodwill, proper leadership and good governance. In the letter, he called on everyone to briefly outline how he should go about the task and how they can contribute to it.[86] Yunus finally announced that he is willing to launch a political party tentatively called Nagorik Shakti (lit. 'Citizens' Power') on 18 February 2007.[87][88] There was speculation that the army supported a move by Yunus into politics.[89] On 3 May, however, Yunus declared that he had decided to abandon his political plans following a meeting with the head of the caretaker government, Fakhruddin Ahmed.[90]

Chief Adviser of Bangladesh

Main article: Interim government of Muhammad Yunus
President Joe Biden with Chief Adviser Yunus at the U.N. Headquarters in the New York City.
Chief Adviser Yunus with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Secretary-General of the UN António Guterres in COP29 Baku, Azerbaijan

Amid the Student–People's uprising in Bangladesh, Yunus expressed support for the students and his distaste of the current government, and in August 2024, after the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and her departure to India, it was announced that Yunus would be chief adviser of the interim government.[91][92]

Muhammad Yunus was appointed as the transitional leader of the interim government on 7 August 2024 by president Mohammed Shahabuddin.[93] On 8 August 2024, he took the oath and has been serving as the Chief Advisor of the 2024 Bangladesh interim government.[94] After the oath he visited injured peoples in Dhaka Medical College.[95] On 10 August 2024, he visited the home and family members of Abu Sayed.[96] He also visited injured student protesters in the Rangpur Medical College.[97] Following communal violence after Hasina's resignation, Yunus threatened to resign if the violence continued[98] and vowed to crack down on conspirators of the attacks.[99]

As Chief Adviser, Yunus has pledged to continue providing humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and support the garment industry amid disruptions caused by the unrest prior to his appointment.[100]

Reception

2011 dismissal

The second Sheikh Hasina government, which was dictatorial and authoritarian at best,[101] announced a review of Grameen Bank activities on 11 January 2011.[102] In February 2011, several international leaders, such as Mary Robinson, stepped up their defence of Yunus through a number of efforts, including the founding of a formal network of supporters known as "Friends of Grameen".[103]

On 15 February 2011, the Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, declared that Yunus should "stay away" from Grameen Bank while it is being investigated.[104] On 2 March 2011, Muzammel Huq, a former Bank employee, whom the government had appointed chairman in January, announced that Yunus had been fired as managing director of the Bank.[105][106] However, Bank General Manager Jannat-E Quanine issued a statement that Yunus was "continuing in his office" pending review of the legal issues surrounding the controversy.[107]

In March 2011, Yunus petitioned the Bangladesh High Court challenging the legality of the decision by the Bangladeshi Central Bank to remove him as managing director of Grameen Bank.[108] The same day, nine elected directors of Grameen Bank filed a second petition.[109] U.S. Senator John Kerry expressed his support to Yunus in a statement on 5 March 2011 and declared that he was "deeply concerned" by this affair.[110] The same day in Bangladesh, thousands of people protested and formed human chains to support Yunus.[111] The High Court hearing on the petitions, was planned for 6 March 2011 but postponed. On 8 March 2011, the Court confirmed Yunus's dismissal.[112]

Accusation of 'loan sharking' and effectiveness of microfinance

Yunus at an opening ceremony of his new book in New York City in 2008

The allegations against Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank were made in a context where some people began to question the effectiveness of microfinance, prompted by the actions of some for-profit microfinance institutions (MFIs) in India and Mexico.[113] Coercion, peer pressure and physical harassment were reportedly used as loan repayment practices in some specific MFIs.[114] Commercialisation of microcredit[115] prompted Yunus to state that he "never imagined that one day microcredit would give rise to its own breed of loan sharks."[116]

The lure of profits attracted some for-profit MFIs to hold initial public offerings (IPOs), including the largest Indian MFI, SKS Microfinance, which held an IPO in July 2010.[117] In September 2010, Yunus criticised the IPO; in a debate with SKS founder Vikram Akula during the Clinton Global Initiative meeting,[118] he said, "Microcredit is not about exciting people to make money off the poor. That's what you're doing. That's the wrong message completely." Calculations of actual interest rate vary, but one estimate puts average Grameen rates at about a 23% interest rate (comparable to the inflation rate).[119] Also see what annual interest do NGOs earn from a fixed initial capital?[120]

Political motivations behind the allegations

In December 2010, Grameen Bank was quickly cleared by the Norwegian government of all allegations surrounding misused or misappropriated funds.[102] Yet, in March 2011, the Bangladeshi government launched a three-month investigation of all Grameen Bank's activities.[102] This inquiry prevented Muhammad Yunus from participating in the World Economic Forum.[121]

In January 2011, Yunus appeared in court in a defamation case filed by a local politician from a minor left-leaning party in 2007, complaining about a statement that Yunus made to the AFP news agency, "Politicians in Bangladesh only work for power. There is no ideology here".[122] At the hearing, Yunus was granted bail and exempted from personal appearance at subsequent hearings.[123]

These investigations fueled suspicion that many attacks might be politically motivated,[124] due to difficult relations between Sheikh Hasina and Yunus since early 2007, when Yunus created his own political party, an effort he dropped in May 2007.[90] In 2013, he faced a state-backed smear campaign that accused him of being un-Islamic and promoting homosexuality, after he signed a joint statement criticising the prosecution of gay people in Uganda in 2012 with three other nobel laureates. [125][126]

Food adulteration case

On 27 January 2011, Yunus appeared in court in a food-adulteration case filed by the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Food Safety Court, accusing him of producing an "adulterated" yogurt[127] whose fat content was below the legal minimum. This yogurt is produced by Grameen Danone, a social business joint venture between Grameen Bank and Danone that aims to provide opportunities for street vendors who sell the yogurt and to improve child nutrition with the nutrient-fortified yogurt. According to Yunus' lawyer, the allegations are "false and baseless".[128]

Trials

Yunus faced 174 lawsuits in Bangladesh, 172 of which were civil cases. Allegations included labour law violations, corruption, and money laundering, which Yunus alleged were politically motivated.[129]

Hasina launched a series of trials against Yunus.[130] The former put the latter on trial in 2010 and ultimately removed him from Grameen Bank,[131] citing his age.[132] In 2013, he was tried a second time, because he had supposedly received earnings without the necessary government permission, including his Nobel Peace Prize earnings and royalties from his book sales.[133] The series of trials against Yunus[134] puzzled figures worldwide, from the 8.3 million underprivileged women served by Grameen Bank to U.S. President Barack Obama.[135][136]

Vikas Bajaj wrote on 7 November 2013:

The government of Bangladesh has played its trump card in its long-running campaign against Grameen Bank and its founder Muhammad Yunus. Last week, legislators passed a law that effectively nationalizes the bank, which pioneered the idea of making small loans to poor women, by wresting control of it from the 8.4 million rural women that own a majority of its shares.[137]

On 1 January 2024, a court in Bangladesh sentenced Yunus to a six-month prison term, along with three employees from Grameen Telecom for labor law violations. However, the court granted bail pending appeals.[138] Amnesty International declared Yunus's conviction a "blatant abuse" of the justice system.[139] The conviction was overturned on 7 August 2024 following an appeal.[140][141] He has been acquitted in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) just four days after getting acquittal for the labour violations case.[142][143]

Background

For many years, Yunus remained a follower of Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujib, the country's founding father.[144] While, teaching at Middle Tennessee State University,[145] Yunus founded the Bangladesh Citizens' Committee (BCC) as a response to West Pakistan's aggression against Bangladesh.[146]: 74  After the outbreak of the war of liberation, the BCC selected Yunus to become editor of its Bangladesh News Letter.[147] Inspired by the birth of Bangladesh in 1971, Yunus returned home in 1972. The relationship continued after Mujib's death. Yunus maintained a professional relationship with Hasina. Yunus appointed Hasina—along with U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton—as co-chair of a microcredit summit held 2–4 February 1997. At this event, 50 heads of state and high-level officials from 137 nations gathered in Washington, DC, to discuss solutions to poverty. At this event, Hasina had nothing but praise for Yunus. In her statement she praised, "the outstanding work done by Professor Yunus and the Grameen Bank he founded. ... The success of the Grameen Bank has created optimism about the viability of banks engaged in extending micro-credit to the poor".[148] The inaugural ceremony of Grameen Phone, Bangladesh's largest telephone service, took place at Hasina's office on 26 March 1997. Using Grameen Phone, Hasina made the first call to Thorbjorn Jagland, the then-Norwegian prime minister. When her conversation ended, she received another call, from Laily Begum, a Grameen Phone employee. However, this long relationship ended in 2007 after Yunus disclosed his intention to form a political party, Nagorik Shakti.[149]

From friend to foe

The Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina campaigned against Grameen and Yunus. The New York Times reported, "Her actions appear to be retaliation for Mr. Yunus's announcement in 2007 that he would seek public office, even though he never went through with his plans".[150] According to Times of India, one other factor contributed to her decision against Yunus: the Nobel Peace Prize.[151]

Hasina thought she would win the Nobel Peace Prize for signing the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts peace treaty. On 9 March, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam expressed the government's attitude when he said, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize". He went on to challenge the wisdom of the Nobel committee.[152]

Historical description

On 11 January 2007, Army General Moeen U Ahmed staged a military coup.[153] Meanwhile, Yunus turned down his request to become the nation's fourth Chief Advisor after Khaleda Zia's term ended. Yunus, however, suggested the general pick Fakhruddin Ahmed[154] for the job. Fakhruddin took office on 11 January 2007 and made it clear on his first day that he intended not only to arrange a free and fair election but also to clean up corruption. While Khaleda and Hasina criticised Fakruddin and claimed that it was not his job to clean up corruption, Yunus expressed his satisfaction. In an interview with the AFP news agency, Yunus remarked "There is no ideology here."[123] Hasina had a harsh reaction to Yunus's comments, calling him a "usurer who has not only failed to eradicate poverty but has also nurtured poverty.[155]" This was Hasina's first public statement against Yunus. Later Yunus announced the name of this prospective political party, Nagorik Shakti (Citizens' Power), saying he had a mission to enter the political arena in his nation in hope of changing its identity from "bottomless basket" to "rising tiger". However, on 3 May, Yunus published a third open letter and put his political ambitions to rest.[134]

Proceedings

The Bangladesh government launched the first trial against Yunus in December 2010, alleging that in 1996 he had transferred approximately $100 million to a sister company of Grameen Bank. Yunus denied[156] the allegations and he was found innocent by the Norwegian government.[157]

Yunus became subject to legal proceedings over three criminal cases. A criminal defamation case was filed against Yunus[123] for criticising politicians in 2007. A food inspector filed another case against Yunus,[158] alleging that yogurt manufactured by Grameen-Danone was adulterated. The final blow came on 3 March 2011. Bangladesh Bank informed Grameen in a letter that Yunus had been removed from Grameen, citing old age. Backed by nine boards of directors, 22 thousand employees,[159] and 8.3 million Grameen borrowers,[160] Yunus defied the government order, returned to Grameen's headquarters in Dhaka, and lodged an appeal at Dhaka High Court against the decision. However, Justice Mohammad Momtazuddin Ahmed and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore delivered the verdict against Yunus, claiming that Yunus's posting as the MD of Grameen since 1999 was illegal as he had reached the age of 60 by then.[161] Backed by international leaders[162] (e.g., Hillary and Bill Clinton), national leaders (e.g., Sir Fazle Hasan Abed) and 8.3 million Grameen borrowers, Yunus filed an appeal in Bangladesh Supreme Court against the High Court's verdict. The full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque heard the appeal on 15 March 2011 and upheld Yunus's removal by the government.[163]

From 2012

On 2 August 2012, Sheikh Hasina approved a draft of "Grameen Bank Ordinance 2012"[164] to increase government control over the bank.[164] That power resided with the bank's directors—nine poor women who were elected by 8.3 million Grameen borrowers. Hasina also ordered a fresh investigation into Yunus's activities and financial transactions[165] in his later years as managing director of Grameen, but people saw the move as an attempt to destroy his image. The prime minister also alleged that Yunus had received his earnings without the necessary permission from the government, including his Nobel Peace Prize earnings and book royalties.[166]

On 4 October 2013, Bangladesh's cabinet approved the draft of a new law that would give the country's central bank greater control over Grameen Bank,[167] raising the stakes in the long-running dispute. The Grameen Bank Act 2013 was approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina[168] and was passed by parliament on 7 November 2013.[169] It replaced the Grameen Bank Ordinance, the law that underpinned the creation of Grameen Bank as a specialised microcredit institution in 1983.[170] The New York Times reported in August 2013:

Since then, the government has started an investigation into the bank and is now planning to take over Grameen—a majority of whose shares are owned by its borrowers—and break it up into 19 regional lenders.[150]

Personal life

Yunus belongs to a Muslim family and continues to actively display a normative orthodox Sunnite theological creed. He encourages the public to engage in Dua directly to Allah,[171][172] whom Yunus publicly recognises as the supreme source of assistance and support,[173] and as the master of Divine Decree.[174]

In 1967, while Yunus attended Vanderbilt University, he met Vera Forostenko, a student of Russian literature at Vanderbilt University and daughter of Russian immigrants to Trenton, New Jersey, United States. They were married in 1970.[17][23] Yunus's marriage with Vera ended within months of the birth of their baby girl, Monica Yunus, in 1979 in Chittagong, as Vera returned to New Jersey claiming that Bangladesh was not a good place to raise a baby.[17][23] Monica Yunus became an operatic soprano based in New York City.[175] Yunus later married Afrozi Yunus, who was then a researcher in physics at Manchester University.[23] She was later appointed as a professor of physics at Jahangirnagar University. Their daughter Deena Afroz Yunus was born in 1986.[23]

Yunus's brother Muhammad Ibrahim is a former professor of physics at the University of Dhaka and the founder of The Center for Mass Education in Science (CMES), which brings science education to adolescent girls in villages.[176] His other brother Muhammad Jahangir (d. 2019) was a television presenter and a social activist in Bangladesh.[177]

Yunus Centre

Main article: Yunus Centre

The Yunus Centre, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is a think tank focused on social business, poverty alleviation, and sustainability. Founded in 2008 and chaired by Dr Yunus, it promotes his philosophy of social business and serves as a resource center for related initiatives. The centre's activities include poverty eradication campaigns, research and publications, support for social business start-ups, organizing the Global Social Business Summit, and developing academic programs on social business with international universities.[178]

Publications

  • Yunus, Muhammad (1974). Three Farmers of Jobra. Department of Economics, Chittagong University.[179]
  • —— (1976). "Muhammad Yunus". Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Chittagong University. pp. 1728–1730. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-28036-8_715. ISBN 978-3-642-28035-1.[180]
  • ——; Isalama, Saiyada Manajurula; Rahman, Arifa (1991). Jorimon and Others: Faces of Poverty. Grameen Bank.[181]
  • —— (1994). Grameen Bank, as I See it. Grameen Bank.[182]
  • —— (1999). Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty. New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-58648-198-8.
  • —— (2007). Creating a World without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism. New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-58648-493-4.
  • —— (2010). Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs. New York: Public Affairs. ISBN 978-1-58648-824-6.
  • Yunus, Muhammad, Moingeon, Bertrand and Laurence Lehmann-Ortega (2010), "Building Social Business Models: Lessons from the Grameen Experience", April–June, vol 43, number 2–3, Long Range Planning, pp. 308–325[183]
  • —— (2017). A World of Three Zeroes: the new economics of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero carbon emissions. Scribe Publications.[184]

Documentaries

Awards and honours

Main article: List of awards and honours received by Muhammad Yunus

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Bengali: মুহাম্মদ ইউনূস, Muhāmmôd Iunūs, pronounced [ˈmuɦɐmːod ˈjunus]

Citations

  1. ^ "Muhammad Yunus takes oath as head of Bangladesh's interim government". Al Jazeera. 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024.
  2. ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 2006". NobelPrize.org. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  3. ^ "House and Senate Leaders Announce Gold Medal Ceremony for Professor Muhammad Yunus". Press Release, US Congress. 5 March 2013. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Muhammad Yunus accepts Glasgow Caledonian University post". BBC News. 1 July 2012. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Muhammad Yunus Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University". UK Parliament. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Professor Muhammad Yunus". Keough School – University of Notre Dame. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Bangladesh dissolves Parliament; protesters call for Nobel laureate to lead". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  8. ^ "United Nations Foundation | Helping the UN build a better world". unfoundation.org. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Global Esports Federation partners with Yunus Sports Hub to build Esports for Development movement". Global Esports Federation. 28 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Muhammad Yunus Facts , The Nobel Peace Prize 2006". NobelPrize.org. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024.
  11. ^ Majumder, Azad; Mehrotra, Karishma; Gupta, Anant; Ripon, Tanbirul Miraj; Seth, Anika Arora (6 August 2024). "Bangladeshi officials meet student demand to name Nobel laureate as leader". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Constituent assembly to be convened for charter reform: Nahid". Jago News 24. 2 September 2024. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Le Prix Nobel Muhammad Yunus arrive au Bangladesh pour former un gouvernement". Le Monde (in French). 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Yunus among world's most influential Muslims". The Daily Star. 7 October 2024. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024.
  15. ^ "About Dr. Yunus: Family". MuhammadYunus.ORG. Archived from the original on 16 April 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
  16. ^ a b "First loan he gave was $27 from own pocket". The Daily Star. 14 October 2006. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  17. ^ a b c d e Haider, Mahtab (1 January 2007). "Muhammad Yunus: The triumph of idealism". New Year Special: Heroes. New Age. Archived from the original on 7 January 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2007.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h Yunus, Muhammad (14 October 2003). গিরেবর উপকাের লােগ োদেখ বਗ਼ োলাক অামােদর বઘাংেক টাকা জমা রাখেত এিগেয় এেসেছ ড় মઓহামઅদ ইউনકস. Prothom Alo (Interview) (in Bengali). Interviewed by Rahman, Matiur. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  19. ^ a b "Muhammad Yunus: Bio – Nelson Mandela Foundation". www.nelsonmandela.org. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Muhammad Yunus Biographical , The Nobel Peace Prize 2006". NobelPrize.org. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024.
  21. ^ "The Graduate Program in Economic Development – Vanderbilt University ..." 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 11 December 2012.
  22. ^ Patterson, Jim (3 December 2007). "Yunus to receive Nichols-Chancellor's Medal". Vanderbilt Register. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008.
  23. ^ a b c d e Yunus, Muhammad; Jolis, Alan (2003). Banker to the Poor: micro-lending and the battle against world poverty. New York: Public Affairs. pp. 20–29. ISBN 978-1-58648-198-8.
  24. ^ a b c "Yunus, Muhammad". Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Archived from the original on 14 October 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
  25. ^ "Bangladesh: Country of Origin Information Report". Country of Origin Information Service. UK: Border & Immigration Agency. 15 June 2007. Archived from the original (DOC) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  26. ^ Hossain, Farid (1 November 2012). "Internet Rolls Into Bangladesh Villages on a Bike". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  27. ^ "Info Ladies – Riding Internet into Rural Bangladesh!". Amader Kotha. 8 November 2012. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  28. ^ Bouissou, Julien (30 July 2013). "'Info ladies' go biking to bring remote Bangladeshi villages online". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  29. ^ "Profile: Muhammad Yunus, 'world's banker to the poor'". BBC News. 2 March 2011. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2006.
  30. ^ Yunus, Muhammad; Jolis, Alan (2003). Banker to the Poor: micro-lending and the battle against world poverty. New York: PublicAffairs hc. pp. 46–49. ISBN 978-1-58648-198-8.
  31. ^ Yunus, Muhammad (September 2005). "GB at a glance". Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  32. ^ a b Yunus, Muhammad. "Introduction". Grameen Family. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  33. ^ "Grameen Fund ventures on Grameen official website". Grameen-info.org. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
  34. ^ "About Grameenphone". Grameenphone. 16 November 2006. Archived from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2007. Grameenphone is now the leading telecommunications service provider in the country with more than 10 million subscribers as of November 2006.
  35. ^ "Village Phone". About Grameenphone. Grameenphone. 2006. Archived from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  36. ^ "Interview with Muhammad Yunus". CNN Asia. 2007. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Grameen Bank, a Nobel-winning concept". The Hindu. 23 October 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  38. ^ Yunus, Muhammad (25 March 1997). "World in Focus: Interview with Prof. Muhammad Yunus". ABC (Transcript of broadcast interview). Interviewed by Negus, George. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  39. ^ "Muhammad Yunus, Ashoka's Global Academy Member, Wins Nobel Peace Prize". Ashoka.org. 13 October 2006. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
  40. ^ Posman, Jerald (26 January 2008). "In thrall to an agent of change". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  41. ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize for 2006". Nobel Foundation. 13 October 2006. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2006.
  42. ^ Team, Kaler Kothon. "ড. মুহাম্মদ ইউনূস এর জীবনী: সাফল্যের অনন্য কাহিনী". Kaler Kothon (in Bengali). Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  43. ^ "Yunus wins peace Nobel for anti-poverty efforts". Associated Press. 13 October 2006. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
  44. ^ Boulden, Jim (29 March 2001). "The birth of micro credit". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  45. ^ Clinton, Bill (2004). My Life: The Presidential Years. New York: Vintage Books. p. 329. ISBN 978-0-375-41457-2. Muhammad Yunus should have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics years ago.
  46. ^ Ainsworth, Diane (29 January 2002). "Transcript of the Jan. 29, 2002 talk by former President Bill Clinton at the University of California, Berkeley". Clinton: education, economic development key to building a peaceful, global village. UC Regents. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  47. ^ "Losing its Lustre". The Economist. 13 October 2006. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  48. ^ "President Obama Names Medal of Freedom Recipients". whitehouse.gov. 30 July 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  49. ^ "Public Law 111–253—OCT. 5, 2010" (PDF). US Government Publishing Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  50. ^ "Dr. Muhammad Yunus". World Food Prize. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
  51. ^ "MUHAMMAD YUNUS RECEIVES 1996 INTERNATIONAL SIMON BOLIVAR PRIZE AT UNESCO". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 17 February 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  52. ^ "Nicolás Castellanos, Vicente Ferrer, Joaquín Sanz Gadea and Muhammad Yunus, 1998 Prince of Asturias Award for Concord". Fundación Princesa de Asturias. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  53. ^ "1998 Professor Muhammed Yunus". Sydney Peace Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  54. ^ "Awards". Yunus Centre. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  55. ^ "Profile: Dr. Muhammad Yunus". Bangladesh News. 14 October 2006. Archived from the original on 17 October 2006.
  56. ^ "CV of Professor Muhammad Yunus". Yunus Centre. Archived from the original on 21 October 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  57. ^ "Muhammad Yunus commemorative stamps". 3 September 2007. Archived from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  58. ^ Byrne, John A. (9 April 2012). "The 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time". Fortune. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012.
  59. ^ "Yunus among 12 greatest entrepreneurs". The Daily Star. 25 March 2012. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  60. ^ "Houston mayor declares 14 January 'Yunus Day'". The Daily Star. 16 January 2008. Archived from the original on 11 September 2009. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
  61. ^ Sheldon, Blaine (25 November 2009). "The Wisdom of the Smart Crowd". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  62. ^ "50 People Who Matter 2010". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  63. ^ "Honourary Degrees". Yunus Centre. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  64. ^ "Honor Committee". Fondation Chirac. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  65. ^ "Chirac returns to public eye with new foundation". France 24. 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  66. ^ "Seventh Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture address – Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory". Nelsonmandela.org. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  67. ^ "Professor Muhammad Yunus' Commencement Speech". Grameensocialbusiness.org. 17 May 2009. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  68. ^ "Yunus Speaks About Capitalism, Poverty, and the Future of 'Social Business'". The Tech. 128 (28). 13 June 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016.
  69. ^ "Adam Smith Lecture at Glasgow University". Yunus Centre. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  70. ^ "Romanes Lecture". University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  71. ^ "12th-Global-Conference-Speaker-Biographies.pdf" (PDF). ifa.ngo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2022.
  72. ^ "Muhammad Yunus Google+ Statistics". Socialstatistics.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  73. ^ "Nobel winner Yunus brings 'social business' mantra to Olympics". Daily Star. 30 May 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  74. ^ "Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu announce The Elders". TheElders.org. 18 July 2007. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  75. ^ "Mandela joins 'Elders' on turning 89". NBC News. Associated Press. 20 July 2007. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
  76. ^ "Muhammad Yunus steps down". TheElders.org. 21 September 2009. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  77. ^ "Jobs, Justice and Equity: Seizing opportunities in times of global change". Africa Progress Panel. May 2012. Archived from the original on 9 January 2013.
  78. ^ "SNV Netherlands Development Organisation establishes International Advisory Board". Snvworld.org. 8 July 2009. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  79. ^ "Commissionners". Broadbandcommission.org. Archived from the original on 14 May 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  80. ^ "High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth". WHO. 26 March 2016. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  81. ^ "Yunus suggests 7-point proposal for resolving Rohingya crisis". The Daily Star. 12 September 2017. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  82. ^ "১৯৭১ সাল থেকে ০৭-০১-২০১৯ গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রপতি, উপ-রাষ্ট্রপতি, প্রধানমন্ত্রী ও মন্ত্রিপরিষদের সদস্যবৃন্দ এবং নির্দলীয় তত্ত্বাবধায়ক সরকারের প্রধান উপদেষ্টা ও উপদেষ্টা পরিষদের সদস্যবৃন্দের দপ্তর বন্টনসহ নামের তালিকা" [1971 to 07-01-2019 List of names of the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and Chief Advisers and Members of the Advisory Council of the Non-Partisan Caretaker Government with distribution of offices] (PDF). cabiet.gov.bd (in Bengali). 13 March 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  83. ^ "Those who were advisors in 1996 and 2001". bdnews24. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  84. ^ "Parliament with honest, efficient must for development". The New Nation. 21 March 2006. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  85. ^ "Yunus not willing to be caretaker chief". The Daily Star. 18 October 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  86. ^ "Yunus seeks people's views on floating political party". The Daily Star. 12 February 2007. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  87. ^ Siddique, Islam (18 February 2007). "Bangladesh Nobel Laureate Announces His Political Party's Name". All Headline News. Archived from the original on 20 February 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  88. ^ "'I will do politics of unity': Yunus names his party Nagorik Shakti". The New Nation. 12 February 2007. 34138. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  89. ^ Mustafa, Sabir (5 April 2007). "Bangladesh at a crossroads". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2007. At first glance, the current state of Bangladesh appears to be a paradox: a country under a state of emergency, but where the general public seem quite content.
  90. ^ a b "Yunus drops plans to enter politics". Al Jazeera. 3 May 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  91. ^ "Nobel Laureate Tapped to Lead Interim Government in Bangladesh". The New York Times. 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024.
  92. ^ "Celebrations All Over': Bangladesh Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus Lauds Student Protests, Says Anger Against Hasina Erupted". News18. 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  93. ^ "Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead Bangladesh interim government". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  94. ^ "Yunus-led interim govt sworn in". 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  95. ^ "Dr Yunus visits injured victims of student movement at DMCH". BSS. No. 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  96. ^ "Abu Sayeed is a son to all families, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist: Dr Yunus in Rangur". Prothom Alo. 10 August 2024. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  97. ^ "Yunus visits injured students at Rangpur hospital". The Daily Star. 11 August 2024.
  98. ^ "Bangladesh Interim Leader Yunus Threatens to Quit Over Violence". Deccan Chroncide. 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  99. ^ "Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus vows crackdown on 'conspirators' amid deadly unrest". India Today. 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  100. ^ "Bangladesh's Yunus reassures on Rohingya refugees, garment exports". France 24. 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  101. ^ "At least 97 die across country on a day of carnage". Prothomalo. 4 August 2024. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  102. ^ a b c Ahmed, Farid (14 January 2011). "Nobel-winning microcredit bank comes under scrutiny". CNN. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  103. ^ "Huge support for Yunus". The Daily Star. 18 February 2011. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  104. ^ "Bangladesh Nobel winner Yunus should 'stay away'". Agence France-Presse. 15 February 2011. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  105. ^ Polgreen, Lydia (29 January 2011). "Bangladesh Inspects Grameen Bank and Muhammad Yunus". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  106. ^ "Bangladesh Trying To Fire Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Laureate, From Microlender Grameen". HuffPost. 2 March 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  107. ^ "Statement of Grameen Bank". Grameen. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011.
  108. ^ "Yunus files writ petition against his removal". bdnews24.com. 3 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  109. ^ "Another writ petition filed challenging govt decision". The Daily Star. 3 March 2011. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  110. ^ "US senator Kerry 'deeply concerned' at Yunus removal". Daily Nation. Agence France-Presse. 5 March 2011. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  111. ^ Alam, Shafiq (5 March 2011). "Thousands in Bangladesh protest at Yunus sacking". Yahoo News. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  112. ^ "Bangladesh judge confirms Yunus sacking". Business Recorder. Karachi. Agence France-Presse. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  113. ^ Epstein, Keith (13 December 2007). "Compartamos: From Nonprofit to Profit". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  114. ^ "The need for a balanced development policy". The Morung Express. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  115. ^ "Profit-focused MFIs are loan sharks: Yunus". The Times of India. 21 February 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  116. ^ "Sacrificing Microcredit for Megaprofits". Yunus Centre. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  117. ^ Kinetz, Erika (28 July 2010). "SKS Launches India's First Microfinance IPO". Bloomberg Businessweek. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  118. ^ Bahree, Megha (11 October 2010). "A Big Split Over Microfinance". Forbes. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  119. ^ "Quick: What's the Grameen Bank's Interest Rate?". Center For Global Development. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  120. ^ "What annual interest do NGOs earn from a fixed initial capital?" (PDF). The Porshi Magazine, San Jose, CA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2006.
  121. ^ "Social Entrepreneurs Impact World Leaders". Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. 25 January 2011. Archived from the original on 2 February 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  122. ^ Hafez Ahmed. "Prof Yunus appears in court today". Newstoday.com.bd. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  123. ^ a b c "Grameen's Muhammad Yunus in court for defamation case". BBC News. 18 January 2011. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  124. ^ Jason Burke (21 February 2011). "Microfinance guru Muhammad Yunus faces removal from Grameen Bank". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  125. ^ "Muhammad Yunus: The Nobel winner tasked with leading Bangladesh". www.bbc.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  126. ^ "Nobel Laureate's Gay Rights Support Prompts National Backlash". HuffPost. 30 September 2013. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  127. ^ Farid Ahmed (28 January 2011). "Bangladeshi Nobel laureate faces fresh legal trouble at home". CNN. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  128. ^ "Contaminated yoghurt lands Yunus in dock". Deccan Chronicle. Agence France-Presse. 28 January 2011. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  129. ^ "Nobel laureate Yunus faces 174 cases in Bangladesh". New Age. 8 September 2023. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  130. ^ "The never-ending trial of Muhammad Yunus". The Times of India. 19 September 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  131. ^ "Yunus slams 'destruction' of Grameen". Dawn. 7 November 2013. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  132. ^ "Microfinance guru Muhammad Yunus faces removal from Grameen Bank". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  133. ^ "Muhammad Yunus Accused of Tax Evasion, Bangladesh To Take Legal Action Against Nobel Laureate". HuffPost. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  134. ^ a b Bornstein, David (17 April 2013). "Beyond Profit: A Talk With Muhammad Yunus". Opinionator (Opinion). Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  135. ^ Sengupta, Somini (19 February 2007). "A Nobel Prizewinner's Hat Alters the Political Ring in Bangladesh". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  136. ^ Farid Ahmed. "Bangladesh asked to find a compromise to end bank crisis". CNN. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  137. ^ Vikas Bajaj (13 November 2013). "A Hostile Bank Takeover". Taking Note. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  138. ^ "Nobel winner Yunus convicted in Bangladesh labour law case". Yahoo News. 1 January 2024. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  139. ^ "Yunus conviction a blatant abuse of justice system: Amnesty". The Daily Star. 1 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  140. ^ "Dr Yunus acquitted, sentence overturned in labour law case". Dhaka Tribune. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  141. ^ "Yunus' penalty cancelled in labour law case". Prothom Alo. 7 August 2024. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  142. ^ "Dr Yunus now acquitted in graft case". The Business Standard. 11 August 2024. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  143. ^ Bappi, Emrul Hasan (11 August 2024). "Prof Yunus acquitted in graft case". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  144. ^ "Home – FATHER OF BENGALEE NATION". bangabandhuporisad.webs.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  145. ^ "Middle Tennessee State University | Middle Tennessee State University". mtsu.edu. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  146. ^ Astrid Stuth Cevallos (2014), 'Transforming cannons into cultural currency': The Fulbright Foreign Student Program and the Transmission of the American Creed Abroad, University of Oxford, Wikidata Q130343104, archived from the original on 22 September 2024
  147. ^ "Yunus on Congressional medal". bdnews24.com. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  148. ^ "Hasina vs Yunus". Himal. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  149. ^ "Yunus names his political party Nagorik Shakti". bdnews24.com. 18 February 2007. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  150. ^ a b "Bangladesh Takes Aim at Grameen Bank". The New York Times (Opinion). 6 August 2013. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  151. ^ প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার হিংসা আর ভয়ের কারণই ড. ইউনূসের সাথে দন্দ্বঃ টাইমস অব ইন্ডিয়া [Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's jealousy and fear is the reason. Doubts with Yunus: The Times of India]. Amader Shomoy (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  152. ^ Bari, R. (2011). Grameen Social Business Model: A Manifesto for Proletariat Revolution. AuthorHouse. p. 158. ISBN 9781468565652. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  153. ^ "1/11 changeover: How it happened and why". Dhaka Tribune. 11 January 2023. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  154. ^ "Dr Fakhruddin caretaker head of Bangladesh". Oneindia. 12 January 2007. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  155. ^ "Usurers up in arms to usurp politics, Hasina tells cultural activists". bdnews24.com. 17 February 2007. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  156. ^ "Letter to Mr. Alex Counts" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  157. ^ "A person is innocent until found guilty". The Daily Star. 11 December 2010. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  158. ^ "Yunus secures bail in Shakti Doi adulteration case". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  159. ^ "Employees protest change in GB law". The Daily Star. 7 November 2013. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  160. ^ "GB staff give govt 15 days to make Yunus bank's chair". New Age. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  161. ^ "Yunus removal upheld". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  162. ^ "Bangladesh chides Clinton for microlender comments". CNN. Archived from the original on 5 August 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  163. ^ "Bangladesh Supreme Court rejects Dr. Yunus' appeal". The Hindu. 5 April 2011. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023.
  164. ^ a b "US worried over Grameen Bank future". bdnews24.com. 5 August 2012. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  165. ^ "Microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus accused of tax evasion". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  166. ^ "Bangladesh: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus faces tax probe". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  167. ^ "Grameen Bank Faces Greater Controls". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  168. ^ Rahman, Md. Fazlur (8 November 2013). "Vote for parties that will return old GB". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  169. ^ "Passing of Grameen Bank Act, 2013". The Daily Star. 8 November 2013.
  170. ^ "JS passes Grameen Bank law". The Daily Star. 5 November 2013. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  171. ^ "আমরা পদে পদে বাধাপ্রাপ্ত হচ্ছি : ড. ইউনূস". Kalbela (in Bengali). 2 April 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  172. ^ "আল্লাহর কাছে ফরিয়াদ করেন, বালা-মুসিবত থেকে আমরা বাঁচি: ড. ইউনূস" [Supplicate to Allah that we may be saved from calamities: Dr. Yunus]. Jugantor (in Bengali). 2 April 2024.
  173. ^ "শপথ নেওয়ার পর জাতির উদ্দেশে যা বললেন ড. ইউনূস" [What Dr. Yunus said to the nation after taking the oath]. RTV Online (in Bengali). 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  174. ^ Bahauddin, A. M. Mohammad (11 August 2024). "প্রকৃত স্বাধীনতা আমরা উপভোগ করবো ইন শা আল্লাহ" [We will enjoy a genuine independence with the permission of Allah]. Daily Inqilab. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  175. ^ "Monica Yunus, Soprano". Biography. VoxPagel.com. Archived from the original (asp) on 27 January 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  176. ^ "History Center for Mass Education in Science". Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  177. ^ "Muhammad Jahangir passes away". The Daily Star. 10 July 2019. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  178. ^ "Who we are". www.muhammadyunus.org. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  179. ^ "Three farmers of Jobra, Chittagong, March 1974". search.worldcat.org. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  180. ^ Rahim, Mia Mahmudur (2013). "Muhammad Yunus". Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Springer. pp. 1728–1730. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-28036-8_715. ISBN 978-3-642-28035-1.
  181. ^ Yunus, Muhammad (1991). "Jorimon and Others: Faces of Poverty". Grameen Bank. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  182. ^ "Grameen Bank, as I see it". search.worldcat.org. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  183. ^ Yunus, Muhammad; Moingeon, Bertrand; Lehmann-Ortega, Laurence (1 April 2010). "Building Social Business Models: Lessons from the Grameen Experience". Long Range Planning. 43 (2–3): 308–325. doi:10.1016/j.lrp.2009.12.005. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  184. ^ Yunus, Muhammad; Weber, Karl (30 October 2017). A World of Three Zeroes. Scribe. ISBN 978-1-925322-47-7. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  185. ^ "Sixteen Decisions". Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  186. ^ "To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America". Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  187. ^ "Bonsai People – Muhammad Yunus". Films for the Planet. 19 March 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.

Further reading

Awards and achievements
Preceded by World Food Prize
1994 		Succeeded by
Academic offices
Preceded by Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University
2012–2018 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded byas prime minister Chief Adviser of Bangladesh
2024 		Incumbent
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muhammad_Yunus&oldid=1257553830"