The Yunus Centre said on Thesday, “The Finance Minister should explain to Parliament, and so to the people of the country, how Professor Yunus could receive a few thousand crores of taka in dividends from an institution where he doesn’t own any shares, not even the shares bought from the stock market,” the Yunus Centre, which promotes the works of Prof Muhammad Yunus, said in a statement.Yunus Centre sharply protested Finance Minister AMA Muhith’s recent statement in Parliament on Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, and said the minister should explain it to Parliament, and so to the people about his ‘false’ remark.
On July 26, Muhith made a statement about Grameen Bank and Prof Yunus in Parliament.
“The people of the country were shocked by the statement of the Finance Minister. No one expected this kind of false statement against a respected person from the country’s Finance Minister in Parliament,” it said.
About Muhith’s claim that all the Grameen social businesses are owned by Yunus, the statement said, “The statement is completely false. All the social businesses being carried out in the Grameen name are not owned by Dr Yunus.”
Prof Yunus has repeatedly said at different times through newspapers and the media that he does not own a single share in any businesses.
It said if the minister can show evidence of Prof Yunus owns a single share or more personal shares in any company, then there would be no reason to protest the Finance Minister’s statement. “But if he is unable to produce such evidence, then the Finance Minister should apologise for making false assertion against a respected person.”
The Yunus Center in its response also said only two of Prof Yunus’ brothers live in Dhaka, and they are Prof Muhammad Ibrahim and Muhammad Jahangir.
“Muhammad Jahangir is not involved in the board of any company. Prof Ibrahim is a member of board of directors of four Grameen named companies because of his knowledge and experience. All four of these institutions are non-profit voluntary institutions.”
The Yunus Centre also said Dr Yunus maintains that Grameen Bank does not have any ownership relationship with Grameen Phone — this is true, true, true! “Why the need for a war of words on this issue?”
Earlier, Muhith said Dr Yunus claims that Grameen Bank does not have any ownership relationship with Grameen Phone but this is false, false, false. (Source: UNB)
