Withdraw Yunus' removal order
Demand Grameen Bank staff, borrowers in human chains across country
Grameen Bank staffs, borrowers and depositors bring out a procession in Dinajpur town yesterday protesting removal of Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus from the post of managing director of the bank.Photo: STAR
Grameen Bank staff, borrowers as well as general people under the banner of 'conscious citizens' yesterday formed human chains in upazila and district headquarters across the country protesting the move to remove Professor Muhammad Yunus from the bank's managing director (MD) post. The programmes were observed peacefully, reports our correspondents from districts. Several hundred people including staff and depositors of Grameen Bank (GB) and common people joined a human chain and peaceful demonstration in front of Chittagong Press Club at around 10:00am. Speakers at the programme urged the government not to take any decision that would harass Nobel laureate Professor Yunus, also the founder of GB and a pioneer of micro-credit. "The participation of people at the programme proves that the people related with Grameen Bank want Professor Yunus, not any other person, as the managing director," said Jamil Akhter, zonal manager of Grameen Bank. In Dinajpur, people formed a two-kilometre-long human chain demanding a respectful reinstatement of Professor Yunus as the MD of Grameen Bank. A couple of thousands people, including officials, workers, beneficiaries, borrowers, account holders of GB, and students and teachers of different educational institutions (mostly beneficiaries of GB education loan) and their family members took part in the programme. After the hour-long human chain programme, they brought out a silent procession that paraded different streets of Dinajpur town and later ended in front of the deputy commissioner's office. On behalf of the participants, Tasmira Begum, a borrower belonging to Sarkerpara unit under Grameen Bank in Dinajpur Sadar upazila handed over a memorandum to Dinajpur deputy commissioner. "Professor Dr Younus, a pioneer of micro-credit and founder of Grameen Bank, was conferred the Nobel Prize for his contribution to the rural population of the country," goes the memorandum. "We are protesting the step to remove the pioneer, and we want a respectful solution of the issue of managing director post of Grameen Bank which created scope for access to banking facilities to more than 8.3 million people of the country," it adds. Similar programmes were held in 13 upazila headquarters under the district. In Lalmonirhat district, Gramen Bank staff, members, borrowers and common people formed human chains in Aditmari, Hatibandha and Patgram upazilas beside the Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway yesterday noon. They demanded that the government review its decision and allow Professor Yunus to run the microlender for the sake of the poor. "Yunus feels the sorrow of poor people and so, he extended his hands for us. If he is finally removed, Grameen Bank will face closure and we the poor people will not achieve our goal,” Abeda Begum, 55, a borrower of Grameen Bank Aditmari branch, said. Later the participants in the human chains placed memorandum to the upazila nirbahi officers of Aditmari, Hatibandha and Patgram demanding that the government allows continuation of Muhammad Yunus' service as the MD of Grameen Bank. Grameen Bank employees formed a human chain at Shapath Chattar in Chandpur town, urging the government to cancel its decision to remove Professor Yunus from the post of MD of the bank. Demanding the same, GB borrowers and staffs also organised human chains in other places including Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Narail, Panchagarh, Brahmanbaria, Thakurgaon, Kushtia, Sherpur, Khagrachhari, Rangpur and Sirajganj.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments