50 years of Grameen Bank, Professor Yunus honoured at reception

Grameen Bank arranged a reception on Sunday at its head office in Mirpur, Dhaka, to celebrate 50 years of the bank and 20 years of its Nobel Prize, honouring its founder and Nobel Laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus. Former and current officials and employees of the bank, along with people associated at various levels, were present at the event.

On behalf of Grameen Bank, Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus was welcomed by the institution’s Chairman, Dr. Abdul Hannan Chowdhury & Managing Director, Sarder Akhter Hamed. Also present were the bank’s Directors Nazneen Sultana, Maria Howlader, Dr. Md. Manzoorul Kibria; Deputy Managing Directors Syed Motiur Rahman, AKM Sazzad Hossain, Md. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury along with all executives and officials from the head office.

At a discussion meeting held at the Grameen Bank auditorium, Dr. Muhammad Yunus spoke about the background of the establishment of Grameen Bank during the 1974 famine, the challenges faced in working for the empowerment of women in the then social system and how members and staff of the bank moved forward with unwavering courage. He also highlighted various initiatives and success stories of the institution in alleviating poverty.

Former Managing Director of Grameen Bank Nurjahan Begum said, “We started from Jobra. When batches came to the training center, Sir always told us that if we put in our sweat, we would be able to build a strong institution. And he built such an institution that it even received the Nobel Prize.”

Chairman of Grameen Bank Dr. Abdul Hannan Chowdhury said, “We are celebrating 50 years of Grameen Bank and 20 years of its Nobel achievement. We are grateful to Sir for creating Grameen Bank, which has generated employment opportunities for countless people and helped solve many of their problems.”

Managing Director of Grameen Bank Sarder Akhter Hamed  said, “Grameen Bank was established under the leadership of Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Through this, nearly 24,000 families have gained income-generating opportunities. Today, Grameen Bank is a global role model in poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment.”

Following the event, Professor Yunus toured his former residence within the Grameen Bank complex and visited Audio Visual unit, Jobra to Oslo Gallery, Archive, Nobel Gallery & the Grameen Check stall.