Bangladesh's Face to the World
THE New Year started auspiciously for Bangladesh. One of its illustrious sons, the legendary founder of Brac Mr. Fazle Hasan Abed, was knighted by the Queen. Congratulations to Sir Fazle! Sir Fazle, and the founder of Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus are the two famous Bangladeshis the whole world reveres. This article tells how Dr. Muhammad Yunus is regarded abroad, especially in America, and how he enhances Bangladesh's prestige in the world.
When Professor Yunus visits America, he is ubiquitous on television and radio. He appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," a must appearance for the famous and the mighty.
He appeared on comedy shows like Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show," exchanging jokes and holding his own, while emphasising that in lending the "poor should have the first priority." I have seen Professor Yunus on CNBC talking business, and on the more cerebral Charlie Rose show on PBS, expounding the benefits of microcredit. He is a regular on NPR radio.
Dr. Yunus was on "Oprah," discussing poverty alleviation strategies, right after actor Leonardo DiCaprio's appearance. A commentator observed: "Dr. Yunus looked more cute and sexy than DiCaprio!" What is remarkable about any Dr. Yunus interview is that within seconds in an interview, Dr. Yunus invokes the name of Bangladesh positively to make his point.
Dr. Yunus is a household name in America. Recently, I was watching Larry King interview former president Bill Clinton on CNN. Discussing the need for poverty amelioration in the US and abroad, Clinton uttered the name "Muhammad Yunus" repeatedly without the need to elaborate on who he was referring to.
Bill Clinton was an early and persistent advocate for the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Dr. Muhammad Yunus. He expressed this in a Rolling Stone magazine interview, as well as in his autobiography, My Life. In a speech given at University of California, Berkeley, in 2002, Clinton described Dr. Yunus as "a man who long ago should have won the Nobel Prize [and] I'll keep saying that until they finally give it to him." They did, in 2006.
Here is how American viewers reacted to Dr. Yunus's appearance on "The Daily Show." One viewer wrote: "The guy does have a point though. There wouldn't be so much debt in the USA if the people had to meet whoever they borrowed money from every month, and try and explain why they don't have the money to pay them back." Wrote another: "He's someone I admire and envy. If he's religious, he makes his religion look good." A third added: "That is the kind of men we always want. They are kind enough to help others who are in need of help. We need such kind of people really. I hope to have such people across the world for they are kind and ready to help the poor." Said another: "This man holds to such a great ideal. Religious or not, this man definitely gained humanism points with the comment, 'I think if you are poor, you should be getting the first priority.' Making the world a better place for your fellow humans is the best thing anyone can do." Commented another: "He is truly a brilliant man, well deserving of his Nobel Prize."
After seeing Dr. Yunus explain "social (nonprofit) business" on "Real Time with Bill Maher," a viewer emailed: "Proud of u mr yunus!!! proud of bangladeshiz!!!"
In its 2006 award citation the Nobel Committee said: "Muhammad Yunus has shown himself to be a leader who has managed to translate visions into practical action for the benefit of millions of people, not only in Bangladesh but also in many other countries. Loans to poor people without any financial security had appeared to be an impossible idea. From modest beginnings three decades ago, Yunus has, first and foremost through Grameen Bank, developed micro-credit into an ever more important instrument in the struggle against poverty. Grameen Bank has been a source of ideas and models for the many institutions in the field of micro-credit that have sprung up around the world."
Dr. Muhammad Yunus was the first Bangladeshi and third Bengali (after Rabindranath Thakur and Amartya Sen) to ever win a Nobel Prize. After receiving the news of the important award, Dr. Yunus announced that he would use part of his share of the $1.4 million award money to create a company to make low-cost, high-nutrition food for the poor, while the rest would go toward setting up an eye hospital for the poor in Bangladesh.
Professor Yunus has won numerous other awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2009, the King Abdul Aziz Medal in 2007, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the World Food Prize, the Sydney Peace Prize, and in December 2007 the Ecuadorian Peace Prize. Dr. Yunus has been awarded 26 honourary doctorate degrees, and 15 special awards. The Bangladesh government brought out a commemorative stamp to honour his Nobel Award.
In January 2008, Houston, Texas declared January 14 as "Muhammad Yunus Day." He was invited to, and gave, the MIT commencement address on June 6, 2008, and Oxford's Romanes Lecture on December 2, 2008. He received the Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service from the Eisenhower Fellowships at a ceremony in Philadelphia on May 21, 2009. He was also voted 2nd in Prospect magazine's 2008 global poll of the world's top 100 intellectuals. Dr. Yunus was named among the most desired thinkers the world should listen to by the FP 100 (world's most influential elite) in the December 2009 issue of Foreign Policy magazine.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first face of Bangladesh to the world. Currently, Professor Muhammad Yunus is the face of Bangladesh. He is the pride of Bangladesh and a hero to the world. The powerful, rich and famous like Bill Clinton and Microsoft's Bill Gates want to be seen with Dr. Yunus. Dr. Yunus is an asset to Bangladesh. He is universally admired in America. American school students are beginning to write essays about Dr. Yunus.
The Awami League government swept into power with a huge mandate and, therefore, it should be all-inclusive. The government of Bangladesh should appoint Professor Muhammad Yunus as Bangladesh's goodwill ambassador to the world. That way Bangladesh can tap into the enormous regard and affection the world has for Dr. Yunus, and through him for Bangladesh.
Photo: STAR
