What is there to be envious of? PM Hasina says on Dr Yunus

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has clarified that she does not envy anyone and has no desire for the Nobel Prize, referring to her reported rivalry with former managing director of Grameen Bank and Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus.

She made the statement in response to queries at a press conference at her official residence, Ganabhaban, on Tuesday. The briefing was called to disclose the outcomes of her recent state visit to India.

When a journalist asked about a Time magazine report that accused the Bangladesh government of using all state apparatus against Dr Muhammad Yunus, the prime minister revealed that she had read the article.

"It was written that I have something with him due to the Nobel Prize. But I have no rivalry with anyone. Also, I have no desire for the Nobel Prize. I do not have enough money to hire lobbyists, and I never desire that,” she stated.

While highlighting her own achievements, Sheikh Hasina spoke about the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord and expressed her lack of desire for awards in return.

“When I signed the CHT peace accord, many people wrote for me at home and abroad, but I never made any lobbying attempts. I have no concern about what I get or not. When a man who is the managing director of a bank and has worked on economic affairs gets the Nobel Prize, why would I go to contest with him?” she asked.

Detailing the hill accord, she mentioned, “I have signed the CHT peace accord. You may go through all the peace accords across the world and find out how many armed people surrendered. A total of 1,800 people surrendered their arms to me. I have rehabilitated all of them socially and financially. I have brought back those residing in India and established them. There have been developments in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.”

She went on to say, “A significant number of people approached me, but I told them that I do not need those awards. Those who are awarded internationally often have political motives behind them irrespective of their contributions. I have no such desires. Still, the report claimed that I was jealous.”

Recalling Dr Yunus' attempt to form a political party during the caretaker government in 2007, the prime minister questioned why his efforts failed despite his contributions to the betterment of the village people.

“Why did he fail? If he has given so much to the village people, why didn’t they dedicate themselves to support him? The reason is that people were suffering due to the huge pressure of interests. None responded to his call. Is it my fault?” she asked.

Sheikh Hasina pointed out a contrasting situation between them, saying that Dr Yunus rated the then caretaker government A++, while she faced back-to-back lawsuits. Therefore, she cannot be compared with Dr Yunus.

Regarding his overseas investments, she raised questions as to where he got the funds and how he made investments outside the country despite being in government service.

“Let him answer it. He maintained overseas business while being in government service. What do the laws say? Now, I am the target of all blames. The man whom I gave the most… What does he have to be jealous of? Let him come to the field with me… don’t you know the debates? Let him come, we would talk,” she added.

The prime minister further said, “Sheikh Hasina is not jealous of anyone. Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib. None would achieve this status. I neither sell the country nor its interests. I maintain the country’s interests.”

She refuted the claim that Dr Yunus founded the Grameen Bank, saying, “The Grameen Bank was formed during the era of Ershad. Following a search for its managing director, Yunus was chosen for the post. It is not a bank founded by him. He was merely an employee and used to receive a salary. It is a statutory agency, but he campaigned as if he founded it himself.”

Recalling her contributions to the business of Grameenphone, the prime minister said, “It was I who provided the business of Grameenphone to him. The bank was in loss, and my government, myself, helped him by providing Tk 4 billion to the Grameen Bank. He then raised the issue of the phone business. He should be questioned if he transferred the money of Grameenphone to the Grameen Bank. There came a large amount of grants, but how many of those eventually made it into the bank?”

She defended the ongoing legal actions against the Nobel laureate and cited instances of legal provisions in America and Europe against tax evaders, insisting that the government is not working against him.

“Not the government, rather the workers filed the lawsuits against Yunus. He has not paid a single penny to the labour welfare fund since 2006. I have helped him the most for the position he assumes today,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina also mentioned her contribution to promoting the microcredit scheme of Dr Yunus. “I believed him to be a gentleman who eradicate poverty. With time, I noticed that he does not eradicate poverty rather nurtures it.”

Lambasting the microcredit scheme, she said, “Where are the families that he (Dr Yunus) provided microfinance to with Hillary Clinton? You may search for them. They have mostly been compelled to flee, while many committed suicide due to the pressure of interests.”

Sheikh Hasina also accused Dr Yunus of robbing her credit for poverty alleviation. “If he has done so much, why hasn't poverty been alleviated from the country? It is I who have alleviated poverty. I have brought down the poverty rate from 41.6 per cent to 18.7 per cent over the last 15 years, but he takes its credit. Some international agencies even claim it in their writings.”