C T Online Desk: Some 198 leading Bangladeshi Americans in a joint statement protested the call from global leaders to halt trial proceedings against Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
They also expressed concern over the global leaders’ open letter sent on August 28 to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The full statement is given below:
We, the undersigned American citizens representing Bangladeshi diaspora communities around the United States, are deeply concerned by the statement issued by some prominent figures, including President Barack Obama, regarding the ongoing trial of Dr. Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh. We firmly believe that this statement has been given without a thorough understanding of the facts, and in that process signatories of the open letter to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh brazenly attacked the sovereignty of the country that gained its independence through the sacrifice of three million martyrs. Nobel laureate Dr. Yunus has been charged with money laundering, tax evasion, labor rights abuse by the independent Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Bangladesh. The case is under trial and no verdict has been reached yet. It is unfortunate that the signatories to the statement have drawn their conclusion without going through the merit of the case, while many of them advocate for rule of law and due process in the administration of justice. We, the undersigned, have been observing Dr. Yunus’s malpractice for many years. We also are well aware of Dr. Yunus’s art of deceit in public relations. However, we, as U.S. citizens, never complained about it. We have reasons to believe the signatories of the open letter fell prey to Dr. Yunus’s deceit.
It is truly unfortunate to note that signatories of the ad campaign didn’t stop by just urging a “fair trial” for Dr. Yunus, but have indulged in to election processes, rule of law and many other issues not related to the case in point. Parts of the statement read: “ ….upcoming national election be free and fair, and that the administration of the election be acceptable to all major parties in the country. The previous two national elections lacked legitimacy.” This is politically motivated without any regards to the historical context. In the past, the so-called “major parties” have showed utter disregard to the democratic process in Bangladesh.
It is quite evident that the signatories unnecessarily tarnished their reputation by indulging into internal issues of a sovereign country that we so proudly call our motherland. Their call for a trial under “impartial judges” completely undermined the entire judicial system and is a brazen attack on the dignity of the Honorable judges of a sovereign nation.
In terms of development, democracy and human rights in Bangladesh, it is far better now than what it was 15 or 20 years ago. Its success in development, its quest to uplift the living conditions of the tens of millions of marginalized citizens and particularly on the issue of women empowerment, Bangladesh is a role model under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. It is recognized around the world, and more specifically by the developed west. We urge the signatories to retract their statement, either in a group or individually, to show respect to the 170 million Bangladeshis.
