Bangladesh resents US remarks on Yunus' removal

[Lankan Ranger]

Bangladesh resents US remarks on Yunus' removal

Bangladesh has expressed reservations over the US criticism of Dhaka's decision to remove Nobel laurate Muhammad Yunus from the post of managing director of Grameen Bank and said 'law of the land will prevail'.

'Laws of the land and the rule of law do not depend on anyone's happiness and unhappiness,' Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said Saturday, responding to the remarks of Robert O. Blake, US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs.

In an interview with the Financial Times March 7, Blake had said the US was 'troubled' by the recent decision that saw Yunus removed as managing director of the Grameen Bank.

Moni was quoted as saying by The Daily Star, 'Our friends outside may or may not be happy but we will take action in accordance with our law. The rule of law in our country does not depend on others' happiness.

'Of course we want good relations with all our friends, but we must be respectful to our laws in our country,' she said before leaving for Egypt to oversee repatriation of Bangladeshis fleeing strife-torn Libya.

'We will do whatever is necessary in the interest of the country and a renowned institution,' the minister said.

She declined further comment on the grounds that the matter was sub judice.

Yunus, 70, was removed as managing director of the Grameen Bank that he founded over thee decades ago by an order of the Bangladesh Bank, the country's central bank.

Yunus lost his appeal before the high court and a fresh appeal is pending before the Supreme Court.

The removal of Yunus has drawn flak from several quarters.

Blake said that Yunus 'enjoys great respect in the US for all his work to help the poor in Bangladesh'.

Asked if the US was 'interfering' in Bangladesh's affairs, Blake said: 'I don't want to make it sound like we're interfering too much. We have made it known that we support a resolution of the situation to preserve the integrity and the independence and the effectiveness of Grameen Bank, but we have not sought to try to prescribe what that solution should be.

'It's really up to the government of Bangladesh and Grameen to work that out and we hope they can do so in an amicable and mutually acceptable manner.'

The European Union has said the issue was Bangladesh's internal matter.

Meanwhile, the Nelson Mandela Foundation in a letter to Yunus March 9 has expressed its support to him and the Grameen Bank.

Bangladesh resents US remarks on Yunus' removal

 

[idune]

Bangladesh resents US remarks on Yunus' removal

It's NOT Bangladesh but Awami regime is resenting US remarks. Almost whole Bangladesh except die hard Awami folks are behind this and trying to paint national identity over their outragious acts. Not so long ago its Awami legue who lobbied for US support and interference to get to power.

Its not all surprising indian sites also adopting Awami lines and amplifying it.

 

[fallstuff]

I wrote a post just around the time when the documentary video first came out. I can't reach that post anymore. I wrote that these are the drum-rolls of things to come. Someone really need to look up the connection between hasina and the video.

 

[desioptimist]

It's NOT Bangladesh but Awami regime is resenting US remarks. Almost whole Bangladesh except die hard Awami folks are behind this and trying to paint national identity over their outragious acts. Not so long ago its Awami legue who lobbied for US support and interference to get to power.

Its not all surprising indian sites also adopting Awami lines and amplifying it.

In above post
US means US Govt (not people of US, or any specific political party)
Bangladesh means BD govt (not people of bd or any political party)

 

[Gonjo]

Dipu moni doesn't actually voiced what we wanted to say.

 

[Skies]

Bangladesh's US allies warn on Grameen Bank

(AFP) – 6 hours ago

WASHINGTON — Bangladesh's supporters in the US Congress have appealed to the government to ensure the independence of Grameen Bank, warning that recent moves have overshadowed the country's progress.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the pioneer of microfinance loans to the poor, was ousted from the helm of his own bank after falling out with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In a letter to Hasina sent late last week, the Congressional Bangladesh Caucus reminded her that they have championed greater ties between Washington and Dhaka in areas ranging from economic cooperation to defense.

"Unfortunately, the situation with Dr. Yunus is beginning to overshadow these concrete gains and introduce uncertainty regarding one of Bangladesh's most visible and beloved institutions," the 26 members of Congress wrote.

The caucus, led by Representative Joseph Crowley, a Democrat from New York, credited Grameen and Yunus with doing "a great deal to improve lives."

"We have raised these concerns directly with your government over the past few months, but the situation has not changed," they wrote.

"We respectfully urge you to resolve this matter with Dr. Yunus through a mutually satisfactory compromise that ensures the ongoing independence of Grameen Bank."

Supporters of the 70-year-old Yunus say he has been targeted in a bitter smear campaign. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called him last week in a show of support.

The central bank -- which is nominally independent from the government -- removed Yunus on the grounds that he had been in his position illegally, as he failed to seek its approval when he was reappointed indefinitely in 1999.

Analysts say Yunus's troubles stem from 2007 when he floated the idea of forming a political party in the long-polarized nation.

AFP: Bangladesh's US allies warn on Grameen Bank