Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Wednesday said the government has no intention to bring changes in the ownership structure or management style of Grameen Bank. “The government has no intention of changing the ownership or management style of the bank (Grameen Bank),” Muhith told reporters in reply to their queries about the microcredit bank after a meeting at the Economic Relations Division (ERD).
Asked whether there would be any new initiative or rule against the Grameen Bank during the tenure of the present government, he said, “We’ve to formulate a rule on how to elect the Board of Directors as there’s no rule to this end at the moment.”
An instruction is there in this regard, but that is illegal, the Finance Minister said adding that the rule would be formulated soon, possibly after the Eid-ul-Fitr.
He said the government now owns 25 percent shares of the microcredit organization, and it will remain the same.
About Grameen Bank founder Prof Muhammad Yunus’ allegation that the government was out to take over the bank, the Finance Minister said Prof Muhammad Yunus had long been alleging that the government was trying to grab the Grameen Bank apart from telling many other things.
“This is utterly nonsense, this is not true and falsehood.” Prof Yunus made the allegation when the micro-credit organisation has been fighting against the government control as the Grameen Bank Commission, formed earlier to review the bank’s activities, is set to recommend its future structure after the Eid.
Referring again to the comment of Prof Yunus that the government wants to take GB’s shares by force, Muhith said: “This is utterly nonsense, and it came from his (Yunus’) brain.” The Finance Minister said the Grameen Bank Commission in its final report might place something to this end.
“I haven’t received the report yet and the Commission might recommend increasing the shares (government),” he said. Earlier, on Monday, after a meeting with Finance Minister AMA Muhith at his secretariat office, Grameen Bank chairman Mozammel Haque said the bank is now running well.
Asked whether the government would take any new initiative to restructure the bank, he replied, “I don’t think there might be new initiatives.” – UNB
