BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has declared an initiative to reestablish the image of Nobel Laureate and Micro-Credit Pioneer Dr Muhammad Yunus, claiming that the Awami League has taken measures to adveresly affect his credibility.
Khaleda Zia made the statement while addressing the press at the Westin Hotel on Wednesday afternoon.
She said: “The government has affected the credibility of Dr Yunus by taking several steps against him. The BNP will reestablish the image of the Nobel laureate if it assumes power again.”
Dr Muhammad Yunus - who is widely considered to be the most internationally celebrated Bangladeshi alive - was “unceremoniously” relieved of his duties at Grameen Bank in 2011 when Bangladesh Bank issued a letter stating that he had passed the retirement age of 60 years (having achieved 70 years of age) and that he was constrained to step down.
However, his removal was disputed by Grameen, who said his position was legal and rolled the matter into the courtroom. Yet Dr Yunus, who considered the formation a political party in 2007, lost the legal battle and was removed from Grameen Bank.
Yunus has been bitterly criticised by the ruling-party leaders after his statement in support of reinstating the scrapped caretaker government provision which the BNP had been waging a movement to have it restored.
Amidst an extensive row with Yunus, the government made the decision of bringing the Nobel laureate under the net immediately after his speech in favour of the BNP.
On September 11, the then cabinet ordered "legal action" against Dr Yunus and accused him of avoiding taxes on income from awards, book royalties and foreign tours.
The cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, asked the tax administration, central bank and banking regulators to take the action in line with "existing laws.”
However, the Nobel laureate's office denied the allegations made by the government, deeming them "baseless". They said the micro-credit pioneer has paid all taxes in accordance with Bangladeshi law.
The BNP tried to benefit from the tensions between Yunus and the government by vowing to honour the Nobel laureate with the respect he deserves once they assume power.
