Bangladesh economy gaining strength

In this respect, he underscored the need for taking the information technology to the doorstep of all villagers to ensure rapid development in the rural economy.

Addressing a reception accorded to him at the Bangladesh Chancery here, he said the spontaneous entrepreneurship of poor people, specially the women, opened a new horizon in the development field.

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Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan M Serajul Islam, Managing Director of Pallikarma-Shahayak Foundation (PKSF) Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, members of the Bangladesh community in Tokyo and officials of the embassy were present.

Prof Yunus is now here leading an eight-member delegation to negotiate a Japanese investment of US dollar 75 million for the health sector in Bangladesh.

He delivered a lecture titled "We can Create a Poverty Free World" at University of Tokyo on Wednesday.

Speaking abut the activities of Grameen Bank including its micro-credit programme self-employment, he said the Bank with its own deposits became a self-reliant institution to finance the enterprises of its own members.

He, however, ruled out the allegation of taking high interest rate on the bank's lending and said, "the Grameen Bank is charging 13 percent as interest on an average which is less than or same to the interest rates of other commercial banks on lending."

He called upon the expatriate Bangladeshis to help enhance the country's image abroad through their sincerity and devotion in the respective workplace.

Referring to the achievements in different fields including poverty alleviation and disaster management, Prof. Yunus said the people, particularly the women, had proved their worth tremendously in income generating activities by borrowing loan from different micro-credit lenders including the Grameen Bank.

"The Bank has four million borrowers who are not only getting loan but also other supports to meet their immediate requirements when they are affected by natural calamities," he said.