Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz was interviewed by PBS NewsHour about the cases against Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus. Professor Yunus is known as the “Banker of the Poor” for establishing the Grameen Bank.
On January 1, 2024, a labor court in Bangladesh sentenced him to six months for violating labor laws. He is also facing 100 other cases including corruption charges. Last year, global leaders, including President Barack Obama, described these cases as judicial harassment and asked the Bangladesh government to stop them. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly vilified Yunus. She is described as “Asia’s Iron Lady” by international media.
Riaz said that the conviction of the country’s only Nobel Prize winner sends a chilling message to the citizens of Bangladesh that says: “If Professor Yunus can be persecuted and punitive measures can be taken, you are nobody. We can take — do anything”.
