Grameen Bank and its 'angel' Yunus

by Isaac Baroi
December 9, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1158/grameen-bank-and-its-angel-yunus

It is OK if you are confused by the Danish journalist, Tom Heinmann's documentary about Grameen Bank's 'angel' Dr. Muhammed Yunus, but please do not be down, because there is truth in it. No one is above the law. Leaders must obey the law. Do we believe this democratic truth of the world today? Then, investigation should be made in the grass roots level because documentaries made at that level helps to resolve disputes by examination. There is no monopoly, no game.

The restorative process of economical conflict is falling apart since the last 10 years and the present stress in poor peoples' bank, which promises to mend the economy of Bangladesh, will take at least 20 to 50 years to recover. Here, the Bangladeshi Government and the people will compensate a very high price, unless the country denounces the behavior of Grameen Bank relentlessly for the sake of justice and image of the country. In America, we are getting news about holy lies of Dr. Muhammed Yunus not only from Europe, but it is nowadays coming from more than 10 different countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Dr. Yunus damaged all the hope for the future of Bangladesh. The random deception used to tint painted success stories through photos, video scams, interviews, and through favorable newspapers that have supported to circulate gruesome lies for more than a decade to get advertising money and personal gain. This is the latest swindle that has ever happened in the history of Bangladesh. It will destroy all the dreams for our new generation, if the present government and intellectuals are not cohesive for the secular good cause of Bangladesh and stand unyielding for the exploited people of Bangladesh and thus refuse to accept the propaganda of Grameen culture of corruption.

Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman struggled his whole life against this hierarchy of Mahanjohni economics and Jaminder [feudal lord] based colonial economical system. After his sacrifice for a dignified nation, for a very long time, the nation was waiting for economical freedom with the hope that one day the people of the world will really know Bangabandu, his economical freedom and new thinking. The economy has been growing gradually. Now, I can hear from the different political science students in universities about the Father of the nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's life, and his history seems to have been resurrected. Maybe, time will come when this will bring remarkable revision to the new generation and opportunity. Bangabandu was one of the first Asian progressive politicians who was unshackle a nation from the colonial intellectualism, brought new thinking and changes in Asian politics. The sleeping Bengal tiger is rising again. Now, the Bangali language is the 4^th largest speaking language of the world today and Bangalis are 7^th largest in population. Bangladesh is slowly marching to the new reality, but the recent scandal of micro-credit illusion puts Bangladesh again in a new test, totally in different sorts of political and economical disputes in the world.

The recent economical argument about the micro credit system through out the world brought some contradictory ideas to the light. Already, the Noble Committee has fallen in a great predicament in keeping their images. I was present in some of Yunus' conferences with civic groups in my life, and listened silently and tried to comprehend what is really the implication of the fictitious game of his triumphant stories of the micro credit system. I was so perplexed and in many cases, speculated how this shrewd man shaped by his own motherland, seems he is a Prince who cares for no one, not even a poor country. These are all the effects of western media, film stars, intellectuals, professors and politicians; even the head of the states' trust to a person who seemed to be doing good job for the people of the poor. Their good faith should be praised, yet questions arise about how far it has gone.

Nevertheless, very few people had the time or courage to do the grassroots investigation, examine Yunus' genuineness. Yunus has made a mistake and his attitude exposed his true character that he never esteems people's power, never trusts peoples' development, all he says is, "I am doing this, "I gave loan", " I accomplished it," "I, me", My Bank"…all I-I-I-I- and ME-ME-ME- ME, MY-MY-MY, like a little god, often prejudiced the social impact of a man, how did he come to this game of chaos with his mind-set of the poor? I wrote some of my feelings in the Daily Janakanthan in August about the attitudes of Yunus towards Bangladesh as a country and nation of the world and its citizens and situations. I was so dazed as I was driving back home in Atlanta from Yunus' meeting and understood something very erroneous with this man - Dr. Yunus I admired and wrote about him in a vernacular daily newspaper in Bangladesh around 20-22 years back; talked about him at Lyon Press Club in France with journalists and felt proud of him. Now this man has finally exposed to be a self-praising proud private man, and became some one else. Do the people of Bangladesh mean nothing to him? How can a man do this to a country, country of his birth? He appeared to me as a great cruel Mahajohn Jaminder from the past, the history everybody hate, who lends money to his subjects and can control everything by his red eye and stick skillets. I have experienced that he has ever respect to the working class industries.

For example, according to Muhammad Yunus, when he spoke last August at Agnes Scott College in Georgia, said that in September, 5000 shoes should have arrived, which will cost 1 Euro and will be shipped by famous shoe company, Adidas, to Bangladesh. The intention is very historic to stop the entrance of multiple types of germs and worms in bulky, Bengali stomachs by wearing those shoes. [Please try to see the Video recording at the meeting of Agnes Scott College]. The appeal was perfect like his Vitamin Yogurt to make Bangladeshi bony, malnourished children to make them healthy and playful within 8 months. Then, the story he told that people of Bangladesh drink poison everyday because of Arsenic in the water and what his great organization is doing, supplying pure water to 15 villages etc… all were perfect cause-based to convince the American audience about the so called third world country like Bangladesh. The way he was using his English language, normally those words could easily befooling people, very attractive, well eye washed, any weak discerned listener will surely fall in this hole to trust this perfect tricky tract. He is a great fabricator of attractive Story-Teller, no doubt a influence people. Anyways, why Adidas, a multinational shoe company, does this mean that the Bangali nation has never worn shoes or chapple before in human history? It is like the discovery of shoes! In Bangladesh, there are thousands of skilled cobblers, like Abu Mia throughout the country, who have small businesses, sitting at the side of roads, are they are not perfect field of Grameen to work with? Yunus is always proud to give low interest loans to the poor, but the recovery is 100%,98%, 97%, etc. and all living in well shelter and food and poverty is now in the museum as he claimed etc. Why should Adidas shoes be imported by Yunus and sold in Bangladesh, while Bangladesh has one of the best skilled humans? The existing cobbler are living from hand to mouth, and they will be unemployed by this act. I can see that in the hall where I am sitting now, the American audience is run by fantasy, that no one doubts Yunus' shoe business story of redemption, which will save Bangladeshis from the stomach worms.

I believe that like this shoe making, there are millions of skilled men and women are in the country who can compete with world class industries. The Grameen Bank does not need Adidas shoes to make local cobblers jobless, bankrupt their businesses, why not help them with low interest loans, unite them as you claim, and export their goods to Europe to America? Yunus has always proudly said, " We created Bank Lawyers for free." If this is so, why is there this micro credit philosophy, which could hurt small businesses in a poor country like Bangladesh? Is this called job creation in micro-credit system or purely cheating baji? Accordingly to Yunus' Grameen Bank, 100 million dollars are lending per month, 7 billion dollars as loans in the market. Then, why not unite people like cobbler Abdul Mia and bamboo crafters? No doubt Dr. Yunus did a magic out of a few dollars into billions, surely he helped hundreds, perfect social service is not possible as long as we humans live on earth, yet when organizations grow, we need people's protection above all, respect of less significant. The Human Rights issue should be the first preference than money in the micro-credit system, only then real improvement comes. Why money lenders should remain above the law, because they lend money and thus does good for others? All those questions should be watchful through the reality of people's opinion and genuine development stories. That is not happening as we are concerned. Asking, is this a peccadillo in Bangladesh? What about public money security and honesty? Also to realize, that all shall be well is not possible when we deal money and people. Failure can also sometimes bring great success if we are trustworthy with people's wealth. How to discern such truth through Human Rights of people's money? It is sure that public money has been robbed dishonestly, how to prove it, that is another game.

In an open market system, like the USA, people are questioning big corporation crimes and demanded to renew Human Rights Act, although labor law is the best key in American capitalist history. Government of Bangladesh should gather the people's harassment stories as a document, the Danish documentary seems very well done, especially when poorest of the poor speaks and nobody listens, in this case we need to hear from the people, people of Bangladesh should speak out strongly, otherwise the country will be victim of international money game, the hide and seek game. I heard that there are many Bangladeshi journalists who wrote about this crime of Grameen, the oppression of people, nothing happened then, and now Danish Documentary seems to have caught the big fish because it was money from the west. My question is, why didn't the same accountability taken when Grameen refused poor peoples' money in Bangladesh. No discrimination will be allowed in the judicial system in connection with poor peoples money in Grameen account.

A country like Bangladesh, when Yunus calls, "Our Bank is lawyer free," it can have many meaning yet, best law is human rights in the system, other wise people's agony and pain remain unseen by any -ism, and our words will be larger than what we do. Dr. Yunus' latest book: "Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs" is a perfect magnetism to American present economy, no qualms, but what about my cobbler Abdul Mia and bamboo crafter? Maybe he is dying or already dead powerlessly, although who had No.1 shoe making skill. My dream is this Abdul Mia's Human Rights, no money first. This should be a global Human Rights and Financial rights of micro credit members. Otherwise, pallid lies will be powerful in the poverty eradication business. I heard that people in the Grameen Bank fear to speak about the truth, how truthful development will happen if people live in fear? Is it red eyes of Dr. Yunus and many bosses? Grameen Bank field workers need to open their mouth, how they were driven to take back the loans and profit, how they were instructed by the office of Yunus, and misled them, and used them as gangs of money lenders? Why should people flee from their villages, why are there unidentified death, mental depression, suicide, defaulters wanted to kill themselves, unwanted death happened through out the years because of this micro credit, all cause need to be disclosed as per as Human Rights is questioned.

Yunus spoke that the Grameen Bank is active in 13 countries including Gambia. We already know that Nigerian and Indian government already took steps as per as the investigation is concerned and many other countries will follow the same to investigate the facts. There are many questions arising about Gambian President's activities too, from his multiple marriages to his great visit of poverty reduction to journalist oppression. Gambia is one of the countries where journalists are oppressed; even the killing of Deyda Hyderva is not yet solved. The International Press Institute, Committee to Protect Journalist [CPJ], and other organizations demanded explanations for the oppression of journalists. Gambian President Dr. Yahya is a man who has been respected internationally with many Prizes and a spokesman for the world's poverty. His well known activity is always trying to prove his purity in development and neutrality, even once he holds up a Holy Koran in his hand and casts his vote. Dr. Yunus, in his conference at Presser Hall in Agnes Scott College, discussed about Gambia, where cosmetic industrial gains are seen in micro credit business from special nuts. Recently, the press is asking questions about Gambian President's claimed admiralship in "Nebraska", even the White House has to think about what is going on with this man now. Dr. Yahya is collecting titles all around the world through lobbying and killing journalists in his own country Gambia. It is all about colonial intellectualism and lobby groups maintaining and being a 'saint' for the people of the world, as Press says, all these are $9 trillion question, wherever micro credit system.

In America we have many Nobel Prize Winners; some already got 2 to 4 times. Some Americans called it as 'a lot of fanfare, no substance…a lot less worthy of an Olympic bronze medal' surely unfair statement. People in USA are not so warm about this, but people are looking for new ideas, creative ideas. In Germany, a few years ago, in a Human Rights meeting, the Noble Laurent, José Ramos-Horta said, "Human Rights achievement is the best prize, it can not be seen easily, it creates a new world." I do not believe that the Noble Committee will decide for us what is right or wrong, or put a GOOD sign board eternally, a nation, a country can not trust this organizational game. During that time, I met the General Secretary of the organization of Transparency, he said to me, "We have all the list of the rich politicians, welfare heads in many countries, those who earn money through black doors in the name of service of the poor." I said, "Then, why is it that it has not been working, stopped…?" He replied, "We have the proof which we gather through local channels, but we do not have judiciary system, we are not a court." It was an unfortunate talk. Human Rights have become a pain and suffering in our time, it is a dead failure for human civilization, whether it is in third world or first world. Hope for the Nobel committee before dictating to the world is to look around in very open eyes, not through elegancy, but in reality, through the balance between Human Rights and welfare services, it is a question of fair trade within microcredit frame globally, not to victimize poor peoples' money in the large corporations.

The heart of the people some way is crashed for joblessness and poverty in Bangladesh is also like any where today. Dr. Yunus often said in the west with confidence, "Every where I see a problem, I start a business." What is it really? Without an open compassion mind to the stigma of poor peoples suffering, I doubt such social service zeals... So, it is OK if you are confused by the Danish journalist Tom Heinmann's documentary about Dr. Yunus and Grameen Bank's monetary dispute, do not let yourself down, because there are some truth in it and some lessons are still to be learned. Our future generation will surely be the best of all ages, because they are learning their lessons with so much pain and doubt. They will see the better dreams than any other time the world has created. Tension free life is unreliable. I hope a hot slice pizza or a cup of Starbuck's coffee will never be your happiness in this global business of truth. WikiLeaks supplied uncovered stories to few famous newspapers of the world in the name of public democratic right to know all truth, and everyday it is coming out without any hesitation. This is moral or not that is a question for the public safety and opinion, digestion, may be a matter. But, current Grameen leaks by the Danish journalist Tom Heinmann's documentary is teaching us again another truth that is "No one is above the law. Leaders must obey the law." How will this be possible? Through secular and truthful investigation, no enmity directly or indirectly to no one. The Government of Bangladesh will surely countenance a big demand to do such investigation. It is for the reason that of the strong power and money flows by the organization or business partners of Dr. Yunus. This is why international justice based organization such like The Transparency International, Inter Poll, International Journalists association and investigative journalists along Bangladeshi economist, University professors, Law makers, Audit bureau and Law and order department should be involved to let the public know the truth and thus can save the image of Bangladesh that no one is above the law. Leaders must follow the law.

Isaac Baroi is a writer, journalist and Human Rights activist.

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