The government and Central Bank of Bangladesh is presently operating the expulsion of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof. Muhammad Yunus founded by him from the "bank for the poor," Grameen. Instead there will now take over the state power. Grameen Bank is currently one of the poorest themselves as cooperative with the open letter we want to prevent this scandalous nationalization of the most successful "Bank of the Poor". Every vote counts support. We ask everyone to participate in this action and each one's friends to call attention.

If you would like to support our initiative visit the facebook website and click "Like"

...................................................................................................

OPEN LETTER

To the Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh,

the Honourable Sheikh Hasina, MP

Dear Prime Minister,

With this open letter we would like to inform you that a critical public in Europe is following with great attention the activities of Bangladesh’s government as well as those of it’s Central Bank towards Professor Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank.

We would like to strongly suggest that the matters concerning the Bank and Professor Yunus in particular, are by no means being regarded by international observers as merely an internal issue, with no impact beyond the borders of Bangladesh.

It is our sincere belief that in this moment you, through the power and reach of your office, are being offered the opportunity to write your name in such positive light into if you decide in favour of a necessary policy change to support Professor Yunus.

Through fair and intelligent conduct, and being able to see the wider ramifications of this issue, we believe that you will be acting in the spirit all of the positive developments that have been lately associated with Bangladesh.

The idea of micro financing and social business have beyond doubt become globally important subjects.  We would respectfully advise you to consider these facts and their wider circumstances in your decision-making processes.  These most recent events concerning Grameen Bank and Professor Yunus have an impact on two levels: firstly, you are not only writing the history of your own country within a connected and global space; but, secondly, we believe that you, through your leadership on this issue, are in fact determining your personal historical reputation on a world-wide scale.

We are aware that the many criticisms of the idea of micro financing will result in a rigorous reappraisal of the many different types of micro financing institutions by many respectable scientific facilities and institutions involved in this global sector.  This is only a logical consequence: as global society develops, so too must the ideas and practices to alleviate the causes of poverty respond to these changes.

We broadly welcome these critical enquiries for we believe that they will demonstrate for we believe that they will highlight three important elements:

1. These reappraisals will help to make micro financing and social business more effective in helping to alleviate poverty;
2. The magnitude of Professor Yunus’ and his legion of global partners’ achievements will once more be underlined by these investigations as a profound and singular step in addressing the issue of poverty alleviation ; and,
3. The politically based motives of his critics will be revealed more as a series of concerted personal attacks rather than helping to help fight poverty.

The world community has been deeply inspired by the novel idea to focus entrepreneurial action on solving social predicaments since Professor Yunus communicated his idea of social business in 2006.  Many influential individuals and organisations within the global government and commercial sectors regard the idea of social business to have had the same impact and reach as the notion of reconciliation of economy and ecology, which has become one of the world’s strongest societal movements in the last decade.

Many social business initiatives are making their positive impacts felt in low-income regions beyond southern Asia.  One of the most promising ideas has breathed new life into these areas, and are truly assisting communities living here move beyond the draining cycle of aid dependency.

It is within this wider context that we would urge you to very strongly consider your future decisions concerning Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank.

It is our strong belief that, it cannot be in your interest, or in the interest of the government and people of Bangladesh, to seriously consider being party to these questionable actions to remove Professor Yunus.  The many overseas observers will report true the domestic machinations seeking to bring Professor Yunus down in a most malicious and self-defeating manner.

Finally, we have been working with Professor Yunus for many years and, through our sustained interactions with him, are convinced of his integrity.  We know that many people in Europe have put their greatest hopes into the work of Professor Yunus, and into Bangladesh’s leadership role impact in improving societal conditions and delivering greater justice in this world.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Franz Alt, author and television journalist / telecaster, who has admired and interviewed your father, Mujib Rahman; and

Peter Spiegel, founder of the Genisis Institute and the Vision Summit, as well as the author of Prof. Yunus’  biography and an illustrated book about Grameen as initiators.

Further joint signatories are listed consecutively at www.visionsummit.org

If you would like to support our initiative visit the facebook website and click "Like"

© Peter Spiegel 2011

© Franz Alt 2011