Prof Yunus, at a meeting with the committee members in Washington on May 16, urged them to amend the rules enabling import of textile products from Bangladesh with similar fairness extended to other least developed countries, according to a message received here yesterday.

Following the senate hearing, Prof Yunus met with three influential senators in the Democrat-controlled senate including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. She expressed strong support for trade preference equality for Bangladesh.

Prof Yunus also met Senator Richard J. Durbin, second highest-ranking senate leader and chairman of the senate appropriations subcommittee on financial services, and Senator

Charles E. Schumer, who serves at the senate appropriations and banking committees.

Both the senators told Prof Yunus that they strongly supported his efforts in replicating micro-finance programmes and his call for duty-free importation of Bangladeshi garments to the USA.

Later on Wednesday he met with US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes, a key adviser to president Bush.

Ambassador Hughes praised Prof Yunus for his micro-credit leadership and his support for an "ownership society."