GB employees to campaign against AL

Grameen Bank employees yesterday threatened to launch a campaign against the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance ahead of the upcoming national elections as a last resort to protect the micro-lender.
"If the government does not give up its attempt to take over or destroy Grameen Bank, we will mobilise public opinion against it [the ruling party]," said Sagirur Rashid Chowdhury, an adviser of the Grameen Bank Employees Association.
He spoke at a press briefing organised to protest a set of recommendations that the Grameen Bank Inquiry Commission is planning to make. The government-sponsored commission is considering splitting GB into      at least 19 zones or bringing about changes to its legal structure so that the government can acquire the majority share -- at least 51 percent -- in the microcredit organisation.
"If needed, we will help change the government. We will not compromise on the integrity of the organisation," Sagirur, also an officer of GB, told reporters at its headquarters in the capital's Mirpur.
Mohsin Reza, general secretary of the association, said GB, the sole organisation to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, was functioning efficiently but facing the vindictiveness of the government.
"We are not supposed to hold this press conference. But the government has forced us to do so as it has been creating issue after issue about Grameen Bank."
The government is trying to turn the bank into a state-run enterprise though none of the GB board members, employees or its 84 lakh borrower-members has ever made any such demand, Mohsin said.
"Whose interest is the government serving by splitting GB into 19 pieces?
Mohsin continued that it was unfortunate the government-appointed chairman of GB and members of the inquiry commission were now touring India to learn about microcredit practices and use their experiences on their return home in making recommendations about the future structure of GB.
"There is no need for bringing about any change to the current legal and operational structure. Grameen Bank has been operating successfully for the last three decades and will continue to do so in future."
Shamsul Alam, president of the association, said no irregularities could be traced in the operation of GB since its inception in 1983, though the central bank conducted audits every year and a review committee and a commission had looked into the organisation's activities.
He urged the government to stop playing dirty games with GB.
Grameen Bank has 26,000 employees at its 2,555 branches, 266 area offices, 40 zonal audit offices, 40 zonal offices and headquarters. It has a client base of 8.4 million.
The association said it would hoist black flags at its offices and on cars and its members would wear black badges if the inquiry commission did not cancel its July 2 workshop in Dhaka.
The commission is set to hold the workshop in which it will place its recommendations before submitting a report on the future structure of GB to the government.
The press conference came two days after nine women borrower directors of GB vowed to go to any length to resist the government move intended at gaining influence over the microcredit organisation.