Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus has said he seeks an investigation into the allegations against him rather than engaging in a debate with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He said this on Thursday (4 July), while speaking to journalists after exiting the Labour Appellate Tribunal in Dhaka.
When asked about the Prime Minister's invitation for a debate, Yunus said, “I made a list of what she has said during her address to the media. The list consists entirely of allegations against me. She has accused me of money laundering, establishing many institutions abroad, tax evasion, etc. These are matters for investigation, not debate. These are issues for the judiciary. What is there to debate or dialogue about? I don’t see anything. So, I think there’s nothing for me to say on this matter.”
He further explained, “As for the allegations she (Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) has raised, we have responded to them many times, not just once. You might remember, in 2012, we got so frustrated with explaining these issues repeatedly that we finally published an advertisement in the newspaper listing 29 questions and answers regarding Grameen Bank. You will find the answers there. There’s no need to search for new answers.”
Regarding tax evasion, Dr Yunus said, “There has never been any case from the government or the National Board of Revenue (NBR) against me regarding my taxes. So, I don’t understand where this issue of tax evasion is coming from. These are matters for investigation. If they want to discuss it again, they can.”
The Nobel laureate added, “One thing I appreciated in her (Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's) comments is that she brought many allegations against Grameen Bank. When allegations are made against an institution, the chairman and board members are also accused. Those who have been chairpersons of Grameen Bank, such as Professor Iqbal Mahmud, Professor Kaiser Hossain, Professor Rehman Sobhan, Dr Akbar Ali Khan, and Tabarak Hossain, will all be accused. They will have to be brought in. I was the Managing Director, second in line. They were all number one, and if the cage (legal proceedings) remains, we will all be in it together. I would very much like that.”
Dr Yunus said the investigations should focus on the allegations and that involving all past chairpersons and board members of Grameen Bank would be essential for a fair and thorough investigation.
