DHAKA: Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, relieved of his duties as Managing Director of Grameen Bank for overstaying legal age limit, now says that he is not a political threat to anyone becausehe has no more political ambition.
Yunus has expressed his opinion in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, after a storm blowing in the country and abroad about his shameful exit of micro-credit institution that earned him the award of the Nobel Peace Prize .
Tom Wright, a special correspondent for the newspaper, said Friday that the interview was taken in email from New Delhi. However, Tom Wright has given permission to publish an online media for their readers.
Yunus said, "I said many times that I have no political ambitions now. I am sure that the Prime Minister does not see me in a political threat to her."
He added: "I am not a political threat to anyone, and most importantly, Sheikh Hasina, twice elected prime minister by the people of Bangladesh."
In the interview, Prof.Yunus has expressed his desire to sit down with Prime Minister Hasina to resolve the issue of referral.
The 70-year, Yunus said: "If the PM has no problem with me or with respect to the operation of the Grameen or otherwise, I’d be honored to sit with her to find a solution."
"I do not know why the current crisis can not be resolved amicably," Prof. Yunus said pointing the government.
Government of Bangladesh has a 25% stake in Grameen Bank, he said.
Asked about the response to requests that there was no change of generation in the bank and a number of senior executives have left, Prof. Yunus didn`t reply directly . He said that the Grameen Bank`s legal framework defines the method for selecting the Chief Executive Officer of the bank.
Prof. Yunus added that "As for certain senior managers leave, yes, some went on early retirement, and some left for other reasons. But it is something beyond the ordinary."
He said that Grameen has had many high-level executives dedicated who have been with the bank for many years and are "perfectly capable of taking charge of the bank`s leadership.
On the impact of the current mess, Yunus said: "My only concern is the future of Grameen Bank borrowers’ s, about 8,300,000, most of them are rural poor women."
Wall Street Journal reported on March 2, that Bangladesh`s central bank decided that he must leave his post as CEO of the Grameen Bank.
Newspaper quoted some analysts who say that Sheikh Hasina has angered move in the Yunus’s policy in 2007, during the emergency system when Prof. Yunus criticized all the politicians bitterly and told that all of them are corrupted.He tried to form a political party in that vacuum when other mainstream political parties were under tremendous pressures from caretaker Government.
Prof. Yunus of Bangladesh`s offered to resign, but asked if he could remain chairman of the board to ensure a smooth transition of leadership, the report said.