Aroud1 million people died for the famine of 1975

লিখেছেন লিখেছেন খাস খবর ২২ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩, ০৩:১৭:১০ রাত

Md. Ahiduzzaman

Hearing about Nobel Laureate Dr. Yunus, the beneficiaries of Grammeen Bank, Saleha, Rozina and Tahsina said crying, “We feel ourselves shelterless as because he is not in the Grammeen Bank. We are passing our days in anxiety.”

According to a research of economist professor Dr. Mahbub Ali, The Grammeen Bank has 84 lakh women who take loan from the bank and almost 4 crore people depend on the bank directly or indirectly. Besides, about one and half crore people are being benefited from the 20 instituitions out of 54 institutes of the bank. He says- Because of the present happenings, all of them are upset and worried and it is natural. Recently at National Press Club, the members of the bank from the whole country including Sirajganj, Mymensingh, Gazipur and Chittagong came to attend a conference of protest and to show their own feelings and sympathy. Among them, Saleha, Rozina and Tashina spoke to these correspondents.

All of them said that Grammeen Bank not only gave us loans but also provided guide-lines for leading a peaceful and happy life. We alleviated our poverty and brought solvency to our family accordingly. The children can study in schools, colleges and universities now. Our children are dreaming about a glorious life.

They said crying, “Grammeen Bank helped us to run our life solvently when we were about to beg and had absolutely no wealth. It employed us by providing loan facilities. The family is running well as a result. Property is increasing. We can feed ourselves three times a day. Children are not suffering from malnutrition. By borrowing higher-education loan of Grammeen Bank, some students are studying in Universities. They need not repay their loan in student life.” Doubting about how they would find such a ‘friend’, they said, “A father is unable to feed two children. Whereas, Dr. Yunus managed to arrange two meals a day for 84 lakh members of Grammeen Bank. He allowed us to hold our heads high in the society. We think him to be something more than our own fathers. We will never accept anything people say against him.”

Saleha Begum of Chourasta Potadia village in Gazipur said, “She borrowed one and half thousand taka from Grammeen Bank in 1988. My husband used to pull rickshaw on rent. We couldn’t run the family after paying off the rent everyday. I didn’t allow my husband to pull rickshaw anymore. After repaying the installments we started to borrow more. We both started a business with the money. Our business expanded gradually. Now we have two shops and a truck of our own at Gazipur Chourasta. This created an employment opportunity for all of my family members. Besides, we have twelve employees.”

Saleha said, “I have three sons. We could not continue their study owing to poverty. If I couldn’t manage the loan, my sons wouldn’t get employed. They could have become thieves, robbers or terrorists in the society. I could have worked as a maid-servant in people’s houses. I could have led my life through sufferings.”

She said, “Three thousand women like me at Gazipur have borrowed loan from the Grammeen Bank and became self dependent. There are four thousand loan borrowers.”

Rozina Begum from Rautara village of Sirajganj said, “I was extremely poor 24 years ago. I was unable to manage a meal in a day. My husband worked as a farmer. Scarcity was very common in our family. We were not in such a condition to feed ourselves. At first, I borrowed two thousand taka from Grammeen Bank. I started business of rice and paddy with that. On the second installment, I borrowed four thousand taka. Thus I continued borrowing loans from the bank and my business prospered gradually. After that I never had to look back.”

Rozina said, “I have two sons. The eldest boy is studying in Dhaka University with Accounting in Honours final year. The younger son is studying Honours at Tejgaon College. I couldn’t make them study unless I could borrow higher study loan without interest from Grammeen Bank.”

She said, “Once none cared about me. Now people from all walks of life of my locality come to me to get advice and help from me. Almost five thousand women from our locality became self dependent by borrowing loan from Grammeen Bank.”

Dr. Mahbub Ali said, “The bank started its credit loan in 1983 and with it, the poor women started to get more money by taking loan. It helps to create employment for women with their family. Women play the main role in such families. It is a sign of women empowerment.”

He also said, “After our independence, the economy was too frail especially the rural economy. Many attempts were taken to develop the economy of the country. Grammeen Bank is one of them. We cannot deny the role of that.”

He said that, “The idea of micro-credit existed in the earlier days brought Yunus explored it as an institution and defined it. Now it is followed as a model all over the world. And it is not acceptable whatever is said about its rate of profit. Rather its rate of profit is less than its selected rate.”

He said, “The matter of the bank will affect on international trade and business and diplomacy negatively. Besides, it will also affect on women empowerment and rural economy. Most of the economists urge that we cannot ignore the role of the Grammeen Bank in the development of the economy when it was not good enough after our liberation war.”

All of them urged that, Nobel Laureate Dr. Amartya Sen wrote in his book that, About 1 million people died for the famine of 1975. But at present Bangladesh has no such kind of condition. It increased its production and NGO played a role in the context. It increased its rural economy huge. They urged that all things should be solved regarding the present condition.

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