Prof. Kazi Maruful Islam, Department of Development Studies, Dhaka University:
Yesterday the Supreme Court rejected Dr. Yunus' leave to petition appeal, meaning there is no possibility to reach to a negotiation between Grameen and the Government.
I personally do think that Yunus issue is a political agenda (categorically, I am not referring to any personal jealousy). It is political. For me it doesn't make sense that Ms. Sheikh Hasina harassing him because of her personal jealousy. As the Head of the government she is very much aware of the pros and cons of her government's action for both internal and external audiences. I do believe that it has nothing do with personal relation of Ms. Clinton with Prof. Yunus, neither to Sheikh Hasina. The current PM of Bangladesh and the US Secretary of State both are political actor. I do strongly believe that whatever they do they do it deliberately in order to protect and promote their political power. For me, it seems the whole issue is played by the ruling elites as a card against the US in order to gain some other benefits (although I could not figure out what those benefits are). Nevertheless, one thing has been clear from recent development on Yunus -issue is that one individual could take more importance over inter-state relation. In other words, it also confirms that Prof. Yunus is the one of the closest ally of the US interest in the Region.
At present The Grameen and Yunus issue has turned to political more than ever. In order to understand the reaction amongst the Dhakaite middle class one needs to take into account the fact that the country is vertically and horizontally grossly mobilized under two camps of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Awami League. Meaning, reactions, whatsoever, very likely would fall under within the party-line. Therefore, Dhaka University, like all other institutions in the country has got most of its faculties divided into two camps: pro-AL and pro-BNP. Nevertheless, understandably the reactions amongst faculties in the DU is more like sympathetic to Prof. Yunus. Most of them (to whom I had the chance to talk on several informal occasions) didn't like the way government took on the issue. It is widespread among them that the Government has unnecessarily opened an extra front to fight. Yunus could have been removed in a more decent way. For me, seems that people are somehow convinced that Grameen has been matured enough to run its operation without its Nobel laureate Managing Director. And they also do not believe the allegations that were brought in by a part of local and international media. So, if the government doesn't want him to be there its okay but things could have been done in sophistication.
I would like to thank Kazi Maruful Islam for sharing his thoughts through this blog.
