Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus had been aware of the risks and consequences of his move to enter politics, reveals a diplomatic cable leaked by WikiLeaks.
Referring to the leaked US diplomatic cable, Indian daily newspaper the Hindu in an article on Friday said Yunus in February 2007, immediately after the January 11, 2007 changeover of power that established a military-controlled interim regime, told the US consul general in Kolkata, Henry Jardine, that he was aware of the 'potentially bruising response.'
The article headlined 'Muhammad Yunus knew seeking to enter politics in Bangladesh would receive bruising response' said Yunus told the US consul general, 'It would provoke from the 'two ladies' [Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, now prime minister, and Bangladesh Nationalist Party chair Khaleda Zia] and other established political figures.'
Henry Jardine sent the cable to Washington on February 13, 2007 documenting the conversation between him and Yunus when the latter visited Kolkata to participate in certain programmes.
During a conversation over lunch, hosted by the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce, Jardine enquired about Yunus's political plans.
Hearing of Yunus's strong interest to join the political fray, the CCC president Manoj Mohanka raised some questions about the 'messy world' of Bangladesh politics and the 'likelihood of Yunus's reputation being tarnished.'
Yunus responded by saying that 'he understood the dangers' but 'felt that responsible people had to step into the political field to make a real change in Bangladesh, which was wracked by corruption and poor governance,' the article said.
According to the article, when Jardine raised questions about rising levels of fundamentalism, Yunus explained that 'Muslim fundamentalists are a fringe not accepted by the Bangladeshi mainstream.'
The consul general, however, pointed out that 'even the Awami League, which had been the primary advocate of a socialist, secular nation, had signed an agreement with fundamentalist group Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish' to 'recognise fatwas issued by Imams and block the introduction of laws contrary to Sharia law,' said the article.
Yunus criticised the agreement as 'a reflection of the AL's moral bankruptcy and was based on pure political calculus to garner a few additional votes and another example of the need for a new political party,' it said.
Yunus was receptive to the idea of Bangladesh expanding economic relations with India.
However, he was concerned 'that often it became a divisive political issue, with Bangladeshi politicians stoking resentment against India for political gain.'
He was also quick to point out that all was not well with the Indian government too, 'particularly the significant non-tariff barriers that restricted Bangladeshi goods from reaching Indian markets,' the article said.
According to the article, Yunus's plans, as he narrated them to the US diplomat, included the opening of the Chittagong port to regional trade with India, Burma, Bhutan and China, and 'the possibility of financing a new 'mega-port' project in Chittagong to meet the regional demand' through the Grameen Bank.
After documenting Yunus's views, the cable concluded that he was 'a person of great moral stature and strong organisational skills' and that his candidacy 'could offer a possible [way] out from the present Hasina-Zia zero-sum game that cripples Bangladesh's democratic process.'
Source: New Age
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