Prof Yunus Reacts To Terror Attacks, Dhaka Social Business Day Postponed

The lone Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed shock at the barbarity of the terrorists, who killed 20 hostages and two Bangladeshi police officers in cold blood at Dhaka’s Holey Artisan Bakery on 1 July evening and pleaded for a new world of equality and dignity. Meanwhile, following the barbaric terror attacks the scheduled 7th social business day to be held in the Bangladesh capital city on 28-29 July has been postponed.

Yunus Centre, which functions as Prof Yunus’s secretariat in Dhaka, said in a statement that all activities related to the social business day were cancelled. “I express my heartfelt condolences to those, far and near, who have lost their loved ones and wish their souls to rest in peace,” said Prof Yunus, the economist turned asocial thinker, who was honoured with Nobel peace award in 2006 along with his creation Grameen Bank of Bangladesh.

The nurturer of micro-finance and the architect of social business initiatives around the globe uttered dismay that ‘such attacks taking place in Bangladesh’ as Prof Yunus ‘always believed Bangladesh to be a tolerant liberal country’.

“We must do soul searching on how this breeding of violence began in our country. We want to create a society peacefully shared by everyone, with everyone having their space, having the right for all to express their views freely, without fear or social or official constraints,” asserted Prof Yunus. Arguing that violence, military or terrorist, can no longer be contained in one country or region, Prof Yunus appealed to all nations to work to bring lasting peace in the Middle East.

“We are seeing this everyday and must wake up to the fact that violence in one place breeds violence even in remotest places of the world,” stated the global social leader adding, “I plead to the powerful nations please overcome differences among yourselves to bring peace in the Middle East so we have better chances of peace in our cities and communities around the world.”