Yunus skirts talk on politics

Yunus-award-ed

“It is good to speak less about the politics of Bangladesh,” he said in New York, USA, when asked for his views on current political situation.

Bangladesh appears to be caught in bind with ruling and the Opposition coalitions unable to reach an understanding on the nature of the poll-time government with the national election round the corner.

Yunus attended a White House dinner on Wednesday on the 50th anniversary of the institution of the US Presidential Gold Medal award.

He was awarded the prestigious medal last year.

Yunus said he had exchanged greetings with President Barack Obama. “We didn’t have the time to talk.”

The New York City University conferred the ‘Global Visionary’ award on Yunus for his contribution to micro finance and social business on Thursday.

Over 6,000 Bangladeshi students are enrolled at the university.

At the award ceremony, the former managing director of Grameen Bank had shared his initial experience of micro finance.

He called on the young generation to harness their innovative power.

Yunus said Grameen America, which started its venture in the US in 2009, has now 18,000 clients in its six branches.

He said Obamacare, introduced in the US in October to ensure health service for all US citizens, faced many controversies.

Even if the service is introduced around 230 million US citizens would be deprived of the health insurance due to immigration status and other reasons, he said, adding that Grameen America wants to stand beside those deprived citizens.

Yunus said they had already started work in New York with this in mind.

Yunus is set to leave the US on Friday night.

Source: Bd news24