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Feature

What a recognition !

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed

September 13, 2006 is a golden milestone in the history of Bangladesh. On this day the Nobel Peace Prize 2006 was announced by the Nobel Peace Committee in Oslo, Norway. The Award went to Dr. M. Yunus the Founder Managing Director of Grameen Bank and to all in Grameen Bank. It is true that Dr. Yunus and all the staff of Grameen Bank have worked relentlessly during the last three decades and more, but the recognition really goes to the poor women of Bangladesh. It is they who took micro loans from Grameen Bank, utilized those and returned almost 100 percent back to Grameen Bank. There are also other institutions that are doing similar microfinance programs and there also the poor women have proved their worth. It is a remarkable feat by these same women who now demand respect from one and all. Therefore Dr. Yunus, the staff of Grameen Bank and the millions of poor women borrowers of Grameen and other organisations and the struggling women in Bangladesh deserve our heartfelt congratulations. Hats off to all of you and thank you for bringing this accolade to our beloved country.

The whole world should now recognize the excellent contribution those disadvantaged women have made in making it possible for them to come out of the shackles of poverty and misery. Come to think of it. If those millions of women did not properly use the money and repay, where would Grameen Bank be and where would many Microfinance and development institutions be today? However we are not so generous to give and convey that recognition to the poor women. We are often callous, suffer from feudalistic attitudes and make derogatory remarks against these poor women. In many of our reports and speeches we all have a tendency to eulogise the role of the organisations who have implemented such programs. But ultimately it has been the diligence, sincerity of and management of the credit by the women, which have made it possible for the organisations to succeed and now get the Nobel Peace Prize for Grameen Bank.

It is a great honour and pride for the people of Banladesh that this reward has come to us, but in the ultimate analysis we should be grateful to the poor women in the country who have really snatched the Prize for us. They proved, in the words of Dr. Yunus, that “WE CAN”. Let us all do our part to take such initiatives forward.

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed
Pro-Vice Chancellor
BRAC University

Quotation

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt
(Sent by M Haider/USA )

The trouble with political jokes is that very often they get elected.
Will Rogers

The free-lance writer is a man who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps.
Robert Benchley

An election is a moral horror, as bad as a battle except for the blood; a mud bath for every soul concerned in it.
George Bernard Shaw