Political games behind the request for resignation of Yunus, inventor of microcredit
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - The economist and Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus appealed yesterday to the High Court of Bangladesh against the decision of the Central Bank to oust him from his position in the general direction of the Grameen Bank which he founded in 1983. The date for the new hearing is set for March 6 next. The government is contesting the inventor of the micro-credit’s last renewal of office in 2000; in fact the heads of the bank it seems did not seek the Central Bank’s final approval of the decision. Moreover according to Bangladeshi law there is a compulsory retirement age of 60 for bank executives. Yunus is 70. The Nobel Laureate maintains that the renewal of his position is legal. However, it is not the first time that Yunus has found himself at the center of attacks and controversy. Therefore, as a local source told AsiaNews, anonymous for security reasons, the recent allegations have perhaps deeper roots in time, related to the economist’s entrance into the political world a few years ago.
"Politicians are taking their revenge," says the source. In 2007, during the extraordinary government, Yunus tried to create his own anti-corruption party. The move was short-lived, but it unleashed the ire of politicians against him. "Yunus launched several accusations, denouncing corruption and illegal practices. In particular - says the source - against the two women who lead the main parties in the country: the current Prime Minister Sheikh Azin, of the Bangladesh Awami League [Al, liberal-socialist party of secular inclination], and Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP, ultra-nationalist and religious party], now opposition leader. At the time, they were both under fire from the Provisional Government, which tried in every possible way to delegitimize them. First, sending them abroad and not letting them back for some time, then putting them in jail on charges of corruption. "Yunus has long fought to prove their involvement in illegal business, but eventually he had to give up.
As expected, explains the source, Azin and Zia both remember the behaviour of the director of Grameen Bank. "The vicious remarks of the Prime Minister are well known, when a Norwegian document that accused Yunus of using the prize money he had received the Nobel improperly, was discovered. Azin said she was 'satisfied' by the fall of the Micro-credit myth”.
Of course there are those who still believe him a clean person. But it's obvious that "even within a structure led by an honest man is not impossible that dirty deals have emerged, corruption at a minute level or even more important levels." Whatever his responsibility, "Yunus has now become a victim. I do not know who will win the battle. It is not a foregone conclusion that justice will be done. It is a big political game, whoever wins the day will decide whether Yunus will win or lose".
It remains to be seen what fate the bank will meet, if the director will be ousted as has been requested. According to the source, "predictions cannot be made. Over the years, Grameen Bank has expanded, creating new structures partially disconnected from the bank. Among these, for example, is the country's largest phone company [the Grameen Phone]. But now I imagine that they will wage a war for succession in the bank,. And certainly those who want his place, will not extend a helping hand when needed".
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