Professor Mohammed Yunus and Fazle Hassan Abed are visionaries and leaders of change not in the context of Bangladesh but from a global perspective. Only the people who have not objectively researched enough will utter the ignorant (I am sorry but could not find a better word to articulate myself) comments about their contributions. I request these people to read some books (now available in plenty) on the efforts of Grameen Bank and BRAC in transforming the rural poverty situations in Bangladesh over the past thirty years which had a directly positive impact on the overall socio-economic environment of the entire country. Apart from the empowerment of the women and eradication of grass roots poverty, the increase in productions in rice, vegetables and maize farming, poultry and cattle farming, pissiculture, textiles and rural handicrafts due to the involvement and coordiantion of the NGOs like Grameen Bank, BRAC and others are simply mind boggling. The progress Bangladesh has made over the past 30 years has lot to do with these individuals and organizations.
The reasons behind the higher interest rate and service charges are also explained in details in the literature published on these organizations - the rural poor are provided with small loans with no securities or collaterals - there is a cost involved in the process. One needs to have an analytical mind to understand this !
Best regards,
Shafqat
To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
From: maaliy2k@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:52:57 +0000
Subject: [ALOCHONA] Re: Dr Yunus & Grameen Bank
Folks,__._,_.___
Please know the fact about Dr. Yunus and GB before jumping to strong
conclusion at.
http://www.grameen-info.org/ bank/GBGlance. htm
Dr. Yunus is NOT an official of Grameen Phone I found the following
truth about Grameen Phone's involvement with corrupt practice and its
relation with Dr Yunus. All the references are given at the end of
this message.
The issue is a bit complex and I am not finding Dr. Yunus has
anything to do with the illegal activities committed by Grameen
Phone. Dr. Yunus is associated with Grameen Telecom - not with
Grameen Phone. Actually, Grameen Phone and Grameen Telecom are
separate entity. Grameen Phone is a for-profit organization while
Grameen Telecom is a non-profit organization and a unit of Grameen
Bank. Grameen Phone's majority share (62%) is owned by Telenor and
the rest (38%) is owned by Grameen Telecom. The important thing is
that Dr. Yunus is NOT a part of Grameen Phone's managemnet. In
essence, a tense relation is going on between Dr. Yunus and the
management of Grameen Phone for quite sometime. Dr. Yunus is fighting
to obtain the majority shares of Grameen Phone for Grameen Telecom
per a verbal? contract made in the past (according to Dr. Yunus).
Bottomline, Dr. Yunus has nothing to with the illegal acivities of
the Grameen Phone. I collected most of the info from the following
links.
http://www.grameen-info.org/ grameen/gtelecom /index.html
http://www.grameenphone.com/ index.php? id=65
http://money.cnn.com/2006/ 12/04/news/ international/ yunos_telenor. fortu
ne/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Grameen_Telecom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Muhammad_ Yunus
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com , Faruque Alamgir <faruquealamgir@...>
wrote:
>
> Friends
>
> Grameen takes loan from abraod(donors & WB) at a very nominal
rate and distributes to the poor but realises interest at a rate of
about 30 - 40%.
> BRAC very recently took more than one thousnad Crore Taka from
Banks in Bangladesh at an interest rate of 13% but will charge that
rate as og GB. Thses two Banks of the poor are not bankers to the
poorest of the poor rahter blood suckers of the already dyiing
population. They did not even spare the Sidr affected people
lately.They are worse than Shlock the butcher.
>
> I did not say anything of my own rather I compiled the report of
the news items that are flashed from time to time about these two
main stalwarts. For their great services to the poor they are
awarded one after another coveted prizes by the West(US/UK/Israel)
controlled august institution including Noble(?).
>
> I can assure that I am not jelous but their mockery should stop.
>
> Faruque Alamgir
>
> Arif Bhuiyan <arif1964uk@...>
wrote:
>
> # 1
> Saturday Interview with Dr Yunus: The Guardian, UK
> Saturday February 16 2008
> What's the big idea?
> His pioneering Grameen Bank began with a $27 loan and went on to
lift millions out of poverty. Nobel prize-winner Muhammad Yunus
talks to Madeleine Bunting
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardi an/2008/feb/ 16/banking
>
>
> # 2
> Grameen Bank offers loans to US poor
> Financial Times, UK
> By Daniel Pimlott in New York
> Published: February 15 2008 19:09 | Last updated: February 15
2008 23:17
> http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ 0/d05bb6d2- dc30-11dc- bc82-
0000779fd2ac.html
>
> http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ 0/a612164c- dbf8-11dc- bc82-
0000779fd2ac.html
>
> http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ 0/cf0c4b56- dc31-11dc- bc82-
0000779fd2ac.html
>
>
> # 3
> Grameen model raises issue of who serves poor best
> Financial Times, UK
> Published: February 9 2008 02:00 | Last updated: February 9 2008
02:00
> From Mr James Stodder.
>
> http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ eee8c7dc- d6b0-11dc- b9f4-
0000779fd2ac,Authorised= false.html? _i_location= http%3A%2F%
2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs% 2F0%2Feee8c7dc- d6b0-11dc- b9f4-
0000779fd2ac.html&_i_referer= http%3A%2F% 2Fsearch. ft.com%2Fsearch%
3FqueryText%3DGrameen% 2Bmodel%2Braises %2Bissue% 2Bof%2Bwho% 2Bserves%
2Bpoor%2Bbest%26aje%3Dtrue% 26dse%3D% 26dsz%3D
>
>
>
> - Arif Bhuiyan
> * No dictator has died with dignity & the misuses of authority is
never worshipped.
> * Jewish State is forbidden by Judaism!
> --
> * To Group members: If you do not like my postings please let the
Moderators know. Do not attack me.
> * To Moderators: If I my mail is irrelevant or members do not
like, please let me know personally.
> --
> Ends
>
>
>
>
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