Date: May 28, 2025
By: Bharat Global Time News Desk
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
In a stunning turn of events, mass protests have broken out across major cities in Bangladesh against Nobel Peace Prize winner and microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus. Demonstrations erupted in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, and smaller towns, with thousands of people taking to the streets, chanting slogans and demanding legal action against the man once hailed as a global icon.
Protesters accuse Yunus of economic exploitation, political manipulation, and deepening ties with foreign powers, especially China.
Why Are People Angry?
What started as murmurs over Yunus’ role in controversial microfinance practices has now snowballed into a full-fledged national backlash. Several groups—students, farmers, garment workers, and nationalist organizations—have united in rare agreement that Yunus has “betrayed the nation.”
The key allegations fueling the outrage include:
- Predatory microfinance lending that allegedly trapped poor women in endless debt cycles
- Tax evasion and misuse of charitable funds
- Secretive advisory role in China-backed infrastructure projects, including the Lalmonirhat airbase near India’s sensitive Siliguri Corridor
- Attempts to allegedly undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty through “foreign influence and elite diplomacy”
Placards at protests read:
“Yunus = Foreign Agent”
“Nobel Laureate or National Liability?”
“Micro-debt, Mega-betrayal!”
Protests Turn Heated
In Dhaka’s Shahbagh area—often a hub of political activism—clashes broke out between Yunus supporters and protesters. Police resorted to mild baton charges to disperse the crowd after slogans turned into scuffles.
In Chittagong, student unions from both left and right wings marched side by side—something rarely seen in the country’s polarized political climate.
Several protest leaders have called for:
- A parliamentary inquiry into Yunus’ financial dealings
- Revocation of honorary positions he holds domestically and abroad
- A formal ban on foreign-funded NGOs associated with Yunus’ network
Yunus Breaks Silence
Facing growing criticism, Muhammad Yunus released a statement late last night:
“I have dedicated my life to fighting poverty and empowering the voiceless. These allegations are politically motivated and deeply hurtful. I stand by my record and remain committed to transparency.”
However, his words have done little to calm the storm. Social media continues to be flooded with hashtags like #YunusOut, #DebtTrapHero, and #BangladeshFirst.
Political Implications
While the government has officially maintained distance, ruling party MPs have started publicly distancing themselves from Yunus, who once enjoyed warm ties with top political figures and foreign dignitaries.
Political analysts say this could mark the fall of Yunus’ influence in domestic policy circles. Some even speculate this movement may reshape Bangladesh’s civil society structure, which has long been dominated by NGO elites.
International Response?
So far, international human rights groups and western governments have remained largely silent. However, several EU-based donors are said to be “re-evaluating” their partnerships with Yunus-led initiatives.
India, watching closely amid ongoing concerns over Chinese footprints in Bangladesh, is said to be closely monitoring Yunus’ backchannel diplomatic role—particularly in northern districts bordering the Siliguri Corridor.
Final Word
Muhammad Yunus was once the pride of Bangladesh—a man who put the country on the global map with his vision of microcredit. But today, his name is sparking outrage in the very villages he once claimed to uplift.
Whether this marks the end of his era or a political witch-hunt remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the streets of Bangladesh are speaking, and Yunus is firmly in their crosshairs.
