Dhaka, 29 Aug, 2023 (GNP): The former President of the United States Barack Obama, and Ban Ki-Moon together with 160 global leaders and more, issued a joint letter on Monday cautioning against “threats to democracy and human rights” in Bangladesh before forthcoming public polls.
The letter strongly condemns the Nobel laureate and micro-credit pioneer Muhammad Yunus’ “continuous judicial harassment” and states that it dreads “his safety and freedom.”
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The Nobel laureate Yunus, 83, is credited with uplifting millions of fellow citizens out of poverty but he has an altercation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who boldly said that he is “sucking blood” from the poor people.
Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the year 2006 in recognition of his efforts to promote economic development.
However, the general elections in Bangladesh are due to happen by the end of January 2024, but foreign governments and rights groups have expressed their concerns regarding the current government’s effort to put an end to criticism and crush down political disagreement.
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Moreover, the letter mentioned, “We are deeply concerned by the threats to democracy and human rights that we have observed.” The letter came after an earlier plea by 40 world leaders in March.
“We believe that it is of the utmost importance that the upcoming national election be free and fair,” the letter added.
The letter, signed by over 100 Nobel Prize winners, as well as former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U2 singer Bono, and East Timorese leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta, followed numerous civil cases filed against Yunus.
