Let Grameen Bank function on its own: Fakhrul

Terming the move to split Grameen Bank a conspiracy, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday urged the government to shun its hegemony and let the Nobel-winning microcredit institution to function on its own. “The Grameen Bank Inquiry Commission proposed splitting the organisation into 19 entities. We think it’s a conspiratorial move…the government is doing this just out of its hostile attitude towards Nobel laureate Dr Mohammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, ” he said.
Fakhrul was talking to reporters at BNP’s Nayaplatan central office after an hour-long meeting with Dr Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank, at The Yunus Centre in the city’s Mirpur area in the morning.
BNP chairperson’s adviser Sabih Uddin Ahmed accompanied Fakhrul during the meeting.
Condemning the government’s move, the BNP acting secretary general said his party will be there with the Bank’s 84 lakh women borrowers and it will put the microcredit organisation back into its original shape once it is voted to power.
“I call upon the government to retreat from the path of plot shunning arrogance and realising the ground reality. Let the Grameen Bank operate on its own,” he said.
Asked bout his meeting with Yunus, Fakhrul said he went to The Yunus Centre to greet him for receiving the US Congressional Gold Medal recently.
“We discussed the present state of the Grameen Bank. We also extended our support to the bank and assured him that BNP will always be there with it,” he added.
Replying to another question, the BNP spokesman said they did not discuss political matters during the meeting, “It’s not wise to talk about politics with him as he is not a politician.”
Fakhrul said it is impossible to build Padma Bridge without World Bank assistance and the floating of tender for its construction with own resources are nothing but ravings of mad man.
He alleged the WB has retreated from funding for the bridge due to the government’s stubbornness and hegemony. “The government has lost the World Bank loan for the bridge only to save a corrupt individual.”
Fakhrul accused the Prime Minister of pushing the nation towards uncertainty, violence and bloodshed by unilaterally scrapping the non-party caretaker government system from the Constitution.
The BNP leader urged the government to reinstate the caretaker system and arrange the next polls under it realising the pulse of people.
Earlier on Sunday, BNP leader Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Dr Osman Farooque handed over Yunus a congratulatory letter of party chairperson Khaleda Zia at Yunus Centre in Mirpur for receiving the US Congressional Gold Medal.
In her letter, Khaleda, also leader of the opposition in parliament, described Yunus as a globally acclaimed person and greeted him for receiving the Congressional Gold Medal.
On April 17 this year, Prof Muhammad Yunus received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award of the United States, in recognition of his efforts for combating global poverty.

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