It is a big surprise to us why the US, our major development partner, got hostile to Bangladesh. Now it is finally revealed that a Nobel laureate, who is favourite with both Democrats and Republicans, has misled them with a wrong idea that he might be in jail or something worst may happen to him if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remains in power.
Nobel laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has been made prime accused in a case filed by the anti-corruption commission (ACC) over embezzling more than Tk 252.2 million from the workers’ welfare trust of Grameen Telecom.
Dr. Yunus, who was once applauded at home and abroad for his efforts to assuage poverty, has seen a significant decline in his reputation as a result of his controversial role in Bangladesh for a number of issues including his act of influencing the World Bank to scrap the Padma Bridge financing, tax evasion, illegal transfer of donor funds, misuse of power and violating foreign travel regulations. It can be hardly exaggerated to say that Professor Dr. Yunus was a highly respected figure in Bangladesh for being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, his organization was subjected to numerous inquiries and accusations due to its allegedly shady organizational structure.
Besides, a stunning allegation has recently surfaced against Professor Dr. Yunus that he unlawfully settled all the 110 cases filed against him by the Grameen Telecom union of workers and employees for Tk 250 million. He also invited criticism in 2015 when Bangladesh’s revenue authorities summoned him over non-payment of over $1.51 million in taxes.
Moreover, there are also widespread allegations that Professor Dr. Yunus has illegally transferred funds from foreign donors to various private organizations for his own interests. In a Danish documentary by Tom Heinemann titled "Caught in Micro Debt" in 2010, Professor Dr. Yunus and Grameen Bank were accused of diverting funds worth approximately $100 million that the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) had provided to the bank for housing loans for the poor in Bangladesh.
Dr Yunus together with Dr Kamal Hossain and Osman Faruk made a comprehensive drive to convince the US administration of his baseless idea and that is why the US ambassador in Dhaka Peter Hass went down to earth against Sheikh Hasina. It may be noted that Osman Faruk was accused of committing crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971 and Professor Dr. Yunus was accused of gross violation of country’s labour law. Peter Hass was playing a role as though of an activist of BNP. Peter Hass has forgotten that he was representing the US which has played a leading role in maintaining global peace and security and together with Bangladesh it is fighting the War on Terror.
The current government is fighting against the militant organizations including the JMB, which was the mastermind of the series bomb blasts in 63 districts of the country on August 17 in 2005.
Around 500 bombs went off at 300 locations in the 63 districts. The bombs exploded in half an hour from 11:30am. The JMB claimed responsibility for the blasts.
Not only Bangladesh, most other South Asian countries have experienced deadly terror attacks carried out by the militant organizations, some of which have link with global terror outfits including al Qaeda, ISIS, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Taliban.
The Indo-Pacific Strategy was prepared from the regional security and safety point of view.
The USA is conducting its war on terror for the safety and security of the whole world. India has regional safety and security concern. The USA has also regional safety and security concern. At the same time, the USA equally treats both regional and global security issues.
From these perspectives, Sheikh Hasina and her government has been also highly concerned about the regional safety and security, especially for the last fourteen years.
The war on terror is being successfully carried out in Bangladesh by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It may be recalled that her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in his attempt to tame the terrors was also assassinated.
Sheikh Hasina is the champion fighter of the war on terror. This is why, pro-liberation government under Sheikh Hasina is the common friend of India and the USA because of her uncompromising fight against terror.
The western powers made their recent statements on democracy and human rights situation because they were misguided by some forces inimical to Bangladesh. They had been deviated from their main points of focus. They were at a distance from war on terror temporarily creating personal issue.
Professor Dr. Yunus made false allegations to all that his life is in peril and he would be sent to jail if Sheikh Hasina stays in power.
Professor Dr. Yunus mounted a perilous political horse when a caretaker administration supported by the Bangladeshi army took the reins of the government in 2007 and he sought the support of the countrymen to float a political party to ‘reform’ the politics of the country.
This controversial person and Dr. Kamal seriously misled the Western and European powers. And it is very true that there are many people, both from Republican and Democrat quarters, who are in favour of Professor Dr. Yunus. Both Democrats and Republican equally have favoritism for Dr. Yunus. For the protection of Professor Dr. Yunus, these American politicians are doing some unpleasant movement against the current friendly government of Bangladesh.
Never in the history of the Nobel Prize has a winner exploited the prestige of the award for settling a personal score like Professor Dr Yunus.
Professor Dr. Yunus has also been embroiled in controversy when some economists accused him of "sucking blood" from the poor with high-interest rates. His organization as though played the role of proverbial Shylock demanding his pound of flesh from borrowers. When borrowers in the villages were unable to make timely payments, debt collectors used coercive and even violent tactics, demanding that they sell their cattle, chickens, and other household goods in order to pay off the microcredit loans. There have been allegations of physical abuse and intimidation by debt collectors. In this regard, some argue that people can quickly sink into a cycle of debt with exorbitant rates of interest. Dr. Qazi Kholikuzzaman Ahmad, chairman of PKSF, a body that monitors microfinance, describes microcredit as a 'death trap' for Bangladesh's poor.
However, later there was an understanding that the US politicians cannot go away from their main target of global war on terror for which they invested trillion of dollars.
They will invest more and more to conduct their war on terror. They must take more programs in future for war on terror.
From this point of view, the current government of Sheikh Hasina and the progressive allies, who are fighting against terrors, are on the right track.
They also successfully managed to make their allies return on proper track.
Sheikh Hasina is indispensable for Indo-pacific region’s peace, safety and security matters and for continued war on terror.