The symbol of pride and hope

The poor people from remote villages are getting financial assistance by way of loan. Grameen tried its best to fulfil the dream of removing poverty through developing poultry firms, cultivating crops, pisciculture and carrying out other activities out of this loan. Dr. Yunus has really done a remarkable job. He knows the reality of life, he knows how to overcome the financial problem of the poor. He has changed the life style of poor people of Bangladesh by making them self-reliant.

It is really a very great achievement for him and for our nation. This icon has made our country proud.

Heartfelt congratulations on Prof. Muhammad Yunus' winning the Nobel Prize. We in India cheer wholeheartedly, for truly, rarely would you find a more deserving prize winner.

We in India would also like to "claim" Prof. Yunus as one of our own - as a South Asian, in the best sense of the word, as a great role model for our kids, a wonderful human being, and an ethical and compassionate person.

The Grameen idea has now blossomed all over - including India, and may Prof. Yunus, and more Bangladeshis like him, contribute to Bangladesh and your neighbouring India and the world with their ideas and work, and may your country be a peaceful, prosperous and joyous place!

Gopal Kamat, Mumbai, India

The Japanese TV organised a few sessions on who might get the Nobel Peace Prize this year, who are the prospective candidates in Japan, etc. These motivate the young generation. The print media published news on the issue. But, unfortunately, nothing of the sort happened in our own country.

It is very important to gain a positive impression to other nations. Many congratulations to Prof. Yunus and Grameen Bank. I hope he will extend more help to the deprived poor who fail to return the loans due to bad luck.

M. Atiq, University of Dhaka

As one of nearly 14 crore Bangladeshis, I am very glad and would like to convey my warm and hearty CONGRATULATIONS to Prof. Yunus and Grameen Bank for the great honour and award of Nobel Peace Prize 2006.

Dr. Engr. Md. Jamshed Alam, Abu Dhabi, UAE

When there were only sighs of frustration everywhere, then came the news like a blitz: Dr. Yunus has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Thank you, Dr. Yunus for writing the name of our beloved country in the list of great achievements. We are extremely proud of you. I hope all the citizens of Bangladesh should start believing in themselves and

turn these moments into a time of rejuvenation, I congratulate you all.

Parvez Monon Ashraf, Dallas, Texas, USA

Usually, the world media gives coverage on Bangladesh whenever there is a negative event. But not this time. We are really happy.

Monzoor Morshed, Dallas, Texas

Dr. Yunus has been awarded Nobel Prize for Peace . This is certainly a historic day for all our countrymen. This is a great honour for any Bangladeshi. Dr. Yunus has been instrumental in inspiring millions of people all around the world to make poverty a history. His indefatigable charisma coupled with his down-to-earth approach to the economic problems have produced many results and brought benefits to many. His model of micro credit is replicated in many countries now. Our heartiest felicitations go to him.

Amid all miseries, difficulties and political pandemonium that our country is going through, this news has brought a sigh of relief and gave us a hope for our nation and our people.

Yunus Sir, we thank you and extend our sincere gratitude to you for making our nation proud.

AFM Mohiuddin, International University of Japan (IUJ)

I want to be the first man to congratulate the legend of Bangladesh-- Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Dr. Yunus won the world's most prestigious prize for his anti-poverty activities through his Grameen Bank. Dr. Yunus began his micro credit programme in 1976, with $27 from his own pocket. At that time he was mocked by a few people. Thirty-five years on, the bank has 6.6 million borrowers and of them 97% are women. According to an estimate of the World Bank, almost 10% poverty ridden people are coming out of poverty every year. The borrowers of the bank are too poor to have loans from the conventional banks in the conventional system, the bank gives loan without any collateral. In 2000, the former US first lady Hilary Clinton stated that, it is Yunus who advised Clinton to introduce micro credit programme in Arkansas State.

The prize is the recognition of his works.

Anis Rahman, University of Dhaka

I am studying Masters in Public Economic Management at Birmingham University for this session. On Friday, the 13th October/06, at 2:00pm our session on 'Macroeconomic Indicators' started with the teacher's announcement of the news of Professor Yunus' winning the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize for 'creating economic and social development from below'.

The whole class was cheered up by this great news. Our motherland and her poor but struggling people have been honoured in an uneven situation. I and my fellow Bangladeshi students expressed our heartfelt thanks to the teacher and the students of different countries. Students from other disciplines enthusiastically uttered the words like 'Bangladesh -- Prof Yunus -- Micro credit'.

It was a pleasant surprise to observe that most of the students particularly, those from Asia and Africa were more or less familiar with the micro credit programmes of Grameen Bank and many of them knew Dr. Yunus well. He has made us all proud.

S. Barua, Birmingham University, UK

He has made the country and its citizens proud. He is a role model to the future generations and I strongly feel that this is a turning point for Bangladesh. Congratulations to Dr Yunus, but as he correctly said that the work is still not complete. There is a lot to be done and this great man deserves all the support that he can get. Dr. Yunus needs the support of the government as the government is the largest organisation operating in Bangladesh.

It is necessary for the government to support him with all that he needs as he is at this point of time our only light at the end of the tunnel.

Sheikh Tanjeb Islam, Monash University

The birth of Bangladesh as a sovereign country in the world map was the greatest achievement in the history of Bengalees . After independence, the Nobel Peace Prize won by Dr. Yunus is the second such great achievement.

Dr. Yunus is our pride. We are proud of being a citizen of Bangladesh.

Dr. Yunus has proved that we can change the fate of the poor who constitute more than half of the population of Bangladesh.

We can make our beloved country a prosperous one. We have many things to learn from him.

Mallik Akram Hossain, Hong Kong

"Where are you from?..oh Bangladesh..umm..is that in India?" For most of us studying abroad, we have had to come across the above conversation at one time or another, and so when Professor Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize, it was truly a joyous occasion for all Bangladeshis, but especially for those of us studying abroad. We could finally go up to our friends and say proudly, "I am from Bangladesh", not because, we have been ranked the world's most corrupt country, or been engulfed in massive flooding or even because we have the world's most inconsistent cricket team, but because we are of the same nationality as the person who has just won the world's most prestigious award. So I would like to take this opportunity to thank Prof. Yunus on behalf of all Bangladeshis studying abroad, for all his hard work, dedication, and selfless commitment to our country, and also for rekindling our pride.

Ishraque Farhan, University of Waterloo, Canada

This is a great achievement but we must be careful that such recognition doesn't become an occasion for celebration only. We must turn it into a source of great inspiration for nation-building.

Ajmiry Ahmed, Goettingen, Germany

Prof. Yunus has made every Bangladeshi and anti-poverty campaigner - like myself - proud by winning this year's Nobel Peace Prize along with Grameen Bank . This is indeed the biggest achievement for our country since our independence in 1971 and restoring democracy in 1991.

It was high time Prof. Yunus received this great recognition for his inspirational work to alleviate poverty by introducing the micro credit system, which is followed in numerous developing countries globally and in some states in the USA. His achievement in lifting over 6 million people out of poverty and giving economic independence to rural women will be (or rather - has been) recognised and remembered for being one of the greatest achievements by any single person in our lifetime.

The fact that this year's Peace Prize went to an economist, evidently and rightly, proves the relation between poverty and peace. More people die of poverty and malnutrition than in war and therefore reducing poverty is the most effective way to create a peaceful society.

This is indeed one of the proudest days of Bangladesh. Every Bangladeshi should be proud of calling the "world's banker to the poor" as "one of us".

Congratulations, Dr. Yunus! Keep up the great work going.

Aranya Syed, University of London, London, UK

First and foremost, please kindly accept my congratulations for winning the " Nobel Peace Prize"-2006. Bangladesh as a country is relatively young, just three years senior to me. We have many problems: poverty; corruption; political instability et cetera, but we also do have the brightest and most visionary people in the world. Of course, not everyone is born a visionary, in fact very few people are. A country's success is based on pragmatic vision blended with patriotism and intellect. When a patriotic and visionary person can turn his intellectual vision into reality, he becomes a pragmatic LEADER. Dr. Yunus, you are such a person, you are our dearest LEADER.

Muhammad Mizanur Rahaman, Finland

May I take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Yunus for winning the most prestigious laurel in the world today - the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Indeed, this news is a ray of optimism for all of us, a rejuvenation from the darkness that seems to have submerged the country lately.

You truly deserved it, Sir! Your triumph is a torch of hope and direction for all of us who look up to you with respect and pride.

Mehtab Ghazi Rahman, St. Batholomew's and the Royal London Medical School (QMUL), University of London, United Kingdom