Use fame of Yunus for nat'l interest
Over 100 non-resident Bangladeshis (NRB) and Bangladeshi descendants living abroad have urged the prime minister to resolve government's dispute with Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and utilise him for national interest.
In an open letter to Sheikh Hasina on Sunday, the 102 NRBs said, “We are deeply troubled by the manner in which the removal of Professor Yunus from the Grameen Bank was carried out.”
"We notice with concern that these measures are tarnishing our reputation and image in the world community. We believe the issues concerning Prof Yunus and the Grameen Bank should be resolved through open discussion and compromise befitting the practices of a true democratic and civil society," said the NRBs in a joint statement sent to The Daily Star.
They believe the prime minister can make use of Yunus' stature to draw benefits for the people of Bangladesh and that any attempt to denigrate him, tarnish his image or belittle his contributions would be counter-productive.
They have also suggested that the prime minister form a small committee with non-partisan civic leaders to find ways to settle all outstanding issues in a dispassionate and professional manner.
The signatories of the letter include Hasanat Husain, Anisur Rahman, Hasan Zillur Rahim, Tajul Islam Hashmi, Shamsul Islam Choudhury, Sadiqur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud and Enam Choudhury of Voice for Justice World Forum's US, UK, Canada and Sweden chapters.
Rafi Ahmad, former head of Laser Technology Department, Shrivenham Military College, Swindon, UK, M A Jabbar, former associate professor of Singapore National University, Singapore, and Bani Amin, former senior lecturer of University of Sunderland, UK were also among the signatories.
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