[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 112 (Monday, July 8, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Tribute to Muhammad Yunus

  Madam President, on a separate, unrelated subject, 14 years ago, the 
late Senator Mike Enzi, a Republican from the State of Wyoming, joined 
me in honoring the Congressional Gold Medal to an amazing man, a 
pioneer in alleviating global poverty. The recipient was Bangladeshi 
Professor Muhammad Yunus--shown here in this photo--the founder of 
Grameen Bank.
  I have been fortunate to visit Bangladesh several times and many 
times with Professor Yunus.
  What he came up with as an idea of making small loans to the poorest 
people on Earth literally changed the world. He changed Bangladesh and 
the families there who were struggling to feed their children to the 
point where they could buy a sewing machine and finally make a living 
with a few dollars and with the promise that they would pay it back.
  This idea of Grameen Bank--the people's bank--was Professor Yunus's 
idea. It revolutionized something called microlending, which hadn't 
been heard of before this time. It provided easy access to small loans 
to more than 7 million borrowers--95 percent of them were women or 
groups of women--and changed poverty reduction in the process. Such 
efforts eventually earned Professor Yunus the Nobel Peace Prize in 
2006.

  Tragically, despite the achievements of this great professor, despite 
the recognition which he has had on an international basis, he has been 
harassed by the Bangladeshi Government almost nonstop. They pursued an 
inexplicable, petty vendetta against Professor Yunus, levying over 
100--over 100--unsubstantiated criminal and civil charges. In fact, he 
will soon go on trial again--another trial--this time facing possible 
life in prison on a nonsense charge.
  Last year, because of the frustration of his friends around the world 
over the way he has been treated by the local government in Bangladesh, 
170 global leaders, including more than 100 Nobel laureates, wrote to 
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urging an end to these 
judicial proceedings and harassment. I have made similar calls and will 
do so again here on the floor today.
  Quite simply, what is happening to Professor Muhammad Yunus is a 
travesty that will seriously harm our relationship with Bangladesh. It 
must stop immediately. Enough.