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A total of 12 US Senators on 24 January 2024 wrote a letter to the honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. They wrote, ‘We write urging you to put end to the persistent harassment of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and the pattern of abusing law and the judiciary to target the critics of the government.’ We observed the role of US government before the election in Bangladesh and some of the political parties’ relations with them.
Some political parties depended on the foreign bureaucrats as they wanted to stop the scheduled January 7 parliamentary polls. When the voters of Bangladesh cast their vote properly and the new government takes oath for maintaining the continuation of governance in Bangladesh, they perhaps could not tolerate it. Hence, they took another action against the government of Bangladesh.
In a letter signed by US Senators Richard J. Durbin and Todd Young, they also maliciously claimed, ‘For more than a decade, Professor Yunus has faced more than 150 unsubstantiated cases brought against him in Bangladesh.’ The people of Bangladesh observe the trial of Dr Yunus cases and by following the due process of law, the justice has been completed. Previously, we all have known that the senators now play the role of lobbyists. Practically, lobbyist is such a person who is in a contract and receives money or who enters contract for economic consideration for the purpose of lobbying. For the reason of their role as lobbyists, the image and honour of the senators are on the wane. In maintaining the relations between US and Bangladesh, some of the US senators assumed their wishes. They did also demand some of economic contractual relationship.
The statement from the senator seems as a threat for our sovereignty. Our nations are continuing by following the constitution and relevant act and regulation. No other state can’t enforce illegally towards the act and rules of Bangladesh. But sometimes we see the statement from the foreign authority on the basis of our action and initiative. It’s very much suffering for us that some of our political parties actively supports them for creating political turmoil. We all know that when the political instability arises political crime and terrorism are also happened. As per cases, the law enforcement agencies are struggling to control the situation properly. I think that those Senator gives the statement for the support of Dr Yunus for being lobbying. Dr Yunus entitled them and pay money to them so that they can force the government and that’s why he might be escaped from the allegation.
Where the US government shared their greetings to the new government of Bangladesh and both of the country assumed that the relationships between two countries become more proactive and meaningful. In the same time the senator message to the prime minister of Bangladesh is purposeful and one kind of illegal enforcement. I think that those senators can’t differentiate between right or wrong. They just give their opinion because of money. They should identify what’s the fact behind the case and should justify the utilization of activities of grameen telecom and others company form Grameen Bank.
If those senators are humanistic, they should declare their speech for being support of Palestianian girls and women. They should announce their speech against Russia and Ukarine war. While statements are necessary they can’t play as proactive role but in where they are in a contractual relationship being as satisfactory they announce their speech. We think that the senators realise and understand their speech and in near future they will also declare that they are in out of light and in repetition they also give their statement on the support of due process law of Bangladesh.
While receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, Yunus promised to send poverty to the museum while after 18 years, it has been proven that Yunus did not send poverty to the museum. Instead, by borrowing money from his high-interest ventures, millions of poor women in Bangladesh have been pushed towards acute poverty and suffering. Maximum borrowers from Grameen Bank are dissatisfied towards Dr Yunus. Because no one borrowers weren’t be benefited from the loan of Grameen Bank. For that reason, after the letter from the Senator for being support of Dr. Yunus the global media emphasis this issue strategically and some of the media specially published this in their editorial portions.
Meanwhile, in an opinion editorial, British newspaper The Daily Express has observed and criticised the “unexpected radical Islamist support for” him, stating it is “not just a domestic affair but signals a disconcerting trend that could have far-reaching implications." The Daily Express said, “Dr. Yunus, once a symbol of innovative economic empowerment, along with his associates, faced severe legal repercussions that have significantly dented his once stellar reputation." So, it has been seen that the strength of the Bangladesh government and the rule of law is strictly maintained in Bangladesh that has proven.
The internationally renowned newspaper seems that the latest letter issued by Dick Durbin and his colleagues in the Democratic Party is the result of a push by Hillary and Bill Clinton, while there also might be secret hands of Barack Obama. Lobbyists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) might also have pushed secret envelopes to Durbin and others in exchange for this letter. Previously, Hillary Clinton came up forward to defend Muhammad Yunus her friend and a major donor of Clinton Foundation. Although the Clinton Foundation website earlier announced that Muhammad Yunus had donated US$300,000 from his millions of dollars deposited in various foreign banks, the link to this declaration on the Clinton Foundation website has been mysteriously removed by the Clintons.
In the previous discussion, we can say that the US Senators were not only critical of the judicial verdict against Professor Yunus but also attempted to enforce their illegal intentions in our judicial proceedings of Bangladesh. This proves that they don’t intend not only to speak for Professor Yunus but also to speak against the Bangladesh government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. While the diplomatic relationship with the USA is improving, such a humiliating letter at this time raises a big question before the global citizens. It seems that the US politicians are mature enough not to jeopardise the Bangladesh-US relationship due to one man’s conviction after following due process of law.
The writer is Assistant Professor and Chairman, Department of Criminology and Police Science, University of Chittagong.
Messenger/Fameema
