Finance minister chides Yunus as ‘true politician’

By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka

Bangladesh’s Finance Minister A M A Muhith yesterday chided Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus in parliament and said he is a true politician and he is trying to put pressure on government by ‘asking’ Grameen Bank directors to hold press conference.

“He (Yunus) is a respected person. I don’t want to make any comment, but I’m compelled to comment. He is really a politician,” Muhith said criticising the former managing director of Grameen Bank while taking part in an unscheduled debate on the microlender.

Earlier, taking the floor on point of order, opposition lawmaker Moudud Ahmed said: “It will be suicidal if the government breaks up Grameen Bank into 19 separate entities and urged the government to reconsider its decision.”

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) standing committee member said if BNP returns to power in future, they will ensure full independence of Grameen Bank by returning all its powers. “The government is hurting the rights of women by attempting to take over 51% shares of the bank whose owners include 8.4mn women of the country,” he added.

In response, Finance Minister Muhith said Grameen Bank is functioning well and it is a very favourite bank of the government. He informed that he would get the commission’s report soon and will make a statement then.

Nine directors of Grameen Bank called a press conference in Dhaka on Monday, protesting the government plan to break up the institution into 19 pieces and urged the government to step back from such ‘a suicidal decision’.

Tahsina Khatun, a woman board member of the bank, warned that 8.4mn poor women across Bangladesh would show their power if the government tries to grab their wealth.

The conference was organised by the nine woman board members in the wake of the government’s decision to break the existing structure of the bank as had been recommended by a probe commission set up in 2012.

The commission has recommended that the government splits Grameen Bank into 19 separate bodies and takes control of a 51% share of the bank. The government currently owns only 3%.