1. Muhammad Yunus has received several other national and international honors, including the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.
71 Facts About Muhammad Yunus
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In 2012, Muhammad Yunus became Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, a position he held until 2018.
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Muhammad Yunus published several books related to his finance work.
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Muhammad Yunus is a founding board member of Grameen America and Grameen Foundation, which support microcredit.
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Muhammad Yunus served on the board of directors of the United Nations Foundation, a public charity to support UN causes, from 1998 to 2021.
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Muhammad Yunus's government has appointed a Constitutional Reform Commission to draft a revision to the Constitution of Bangladesh and has pledged the convocation of a constituent assembly.
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Muhammad Yunus's name was listed in The 500 Most Influential Muslims in 2024.
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The third of nine children, Muhammad Yunus was born on 28 June 1940 to a Bengali Muslim family of Saudagars in the village of Bathua, by the Kaptai road at Hathazari in the Chittagong District of Bengal Presidency.
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Muhammad Yunus's father was Haji Muhammad Dula Mia Soudagar, a jeweller, and his mother was Sufia Khatun.
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Later, while Muhammad Yunus was studying at Chittagong College, he became active in cultural activities and won awards for drama.
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Muhammad Yunus obtained his PhD in economics from Vanderbilt University through their Graduate Program in Economic Development in 1969.
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From 1969 to 1972, Muhammad Yunus was an assistant professor of economics at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
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Muhammad Yunus published the Bangladesh Newsletter from his home in Nashville.
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In 1976, during visits to the poorest households in the village of Jobra near Chittagong University, Muhammad Yunus discovered that very small loans could make a disproportionate difference to a poor person.
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Muhammad Yunus lent US$27 of his money to 42 women in the village, who made a profit of BDT 0.50 each on the loan.
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In December 1976, Muhammad Yunus finally secured a loan from the government Janata Bank to lend to the poor in Jobra.
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Muhammad Yunus attended the launch of the group and was one of its founding members.
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Muhammad Yunus stepped down as an Elder in September 2009, stating that he was unable to do justice to his membership due to the demands of his work.
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Muhammad Yunus is a member of the Africa Progress Panel, a group of ten distinguished individuals who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable development in Africa.
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In July 2009, Muhammad Yunus became a member of the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation International Advisory Board to support the organisation's poverty reduction work.
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Since 2010, Muhammad Yunus has served as a Commissioner for the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, a UN initiative which seeks to use broadband internet services to accelerate social and economic development.
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In 1996, Muhammad Yunus served as an advisor to the caretaker government led by former Chief Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman.
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Muhammad Yunus was responsible for overseeing the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
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Muhammad Yunus considered entering politics in the later part of that year.
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On 11 February 2007, Muhammad Yunus wrote an open letter, published in the Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star, where he asked citizens for views on his plan to float a political party to establish political goodwill, proper leadership and good governance.
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Muhammad Yunus was appointed as the transitional leader of the interim government on 7 August 2024 by president Mohammed Shahabuddin.
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Muhammad Yunus visited injured student protesters in the Rangpur Medical College.
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On 16 December 2024, Muhammad Yunus announced that general elections would be held in late 2025 or early 2026.
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On 15 February 2011, the Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, declared that Muhammad Yunus should "stay away" from Grameen Bank while it is being investigated.
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On 2 March 2011, Muzammel Huq, a former Bank employee, whom the government had appointed chairman in January, announced that Muhammad Yunus had been fired as managing director of the Bank.
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However, Bank General Manager Jannat-E Quanine issued a statement that Muhammad Yunus was "continuing in his office" pending review of the legal issues surrounding the controversy.
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In March 2011, Muhammad Yunus petitioned the Bangladesh High Court challenging the legality of the decision by the Bangladeshi Central Bank to remove him as managing director of Grameen Bank.
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At the hearing, Muhammad Yunus was granted bail and exempted from personal appearance at subsequent hearings.
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On 27 January 2011, Muhammad Yunus appeared in court in a food-adulteration case filed by the Dhaka City Corporation Food Safety Court, accusing him of producing an "adulterated" yogurt whose fat content was below the legal minimum.
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Muhammad Yunus faced 174 lawsuits in Bangladesh, 172 of which were civil cases.
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Allegations included labour law violations, corruption, and money laundering, which Muhammad Yunus alleged were politically motivated.
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Muhammad Yunus has been acquitted in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission just four days after getting acquittal for the labour violations case.
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For many years, Muhammad Yunus remained a follower of Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujib, Former President of Bangladesh.
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However, this long relationship ended in 2007 after Muhammad Yunus disclosed his intention to form a political party, Nagorik Shakti.
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Muhammad Yunus went on to challenge the wisdom of the Nobel committee.
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Meanwhile, Muhammad Yunus turned down his request to become the nation's fourth Chief Advisor after Khaleda Zia's term ended.
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Muhammad Yunus suggested the general pick Fakhruddin Ahmed for the job.
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Later Muhammad Yunus announced the name of this prospective political party, Nagorik Shakti, saying he had a mission to enter the political arena in his nation in hope of changing its identity from "bottomless basket" to "rising tiger".
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Muhammad Yunus denied the allegations and he was found innocent by the Norwegian government.
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Muhammad Yunus became subject to legal proceedings over three criminal cases.
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Bangladesh Bank informed Grameen in a letter that Muhammad Yunus had been removed from Grameen, citing old age.
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However, Justice Mohammad Momtazuddin Ahmed and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore delivered the verdict against Muhammad Yunus, claiming that Muhammad Yunus's posting as the MD of Grameen since 1999 was illegal as he had reached the age of 60 by then.
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The prime minister alleged that Muhammad Yunus had received his earnings without the necessary permission from the government, including his Nobel Peace Prize earnings and book royalties.
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In 1967, while Muhammad Yunus attended Vanderbilt University, he met Vera Forostenko, a student of Russian literature at Vanderbilt University and daughter of Russian immigrants to Trenton, New Jersey, United States.
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Monica Muhammad Yunus became an operatic soprano based in New York City.
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Muhammad Yunus later married Afrozi Muhammad Yunus, who was then a researcher in physics at Manchester University.
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Muhammad Yunus was later appointed as a professor of physics at Jahangirnagar University.
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Yunus's brother Muhammad Ibrahim is a former professor of physics at the University of Dhaka and the founder of The Center for Mass Education in Science, which brings science education to adolescent girls in villages.
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The Muhammad Yunus Centre, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is a think tank focused on social business, poverty alleviation, and sustainability.
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Muhammad Yunus was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Grameen Bank, for their efforts to create economic and social development:.
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Muhammad Yunus has shown himself to be a leader who has managed to translate visions into practical action for the benefit of millions of people, not only in Bangladesh, but in many other countries.
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From modest beginnings three decades ago, Muhammad Yunus has, first and foremost through Grameen Bank, developed micro-credit into an ever more important instrument in the struggle against poverty.
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Muhammad Yunus was the first Bangladeshi to ever get a Nobel Prize.
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Muhammad Yunus established Grameen Bank in 1983, which plays a significant role in poverty alleviation in various countries of the world including Bangladesh.
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Muhammad Yunus expressed this in Rolling Stone magazine as well as in his autobiography My Life.
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Muhammad Yunus is one of only seven persons to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal.
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Additionally, Muhammad Yunus has been awarded 69 honorary doctorate degrees from universities across 27 countries, and 113 international awards from 26 countries including state honours from 10 countries.
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Muhammad Yunus was named by Fortune Magazine in March 2012 as one of 12 greatest entrepreneurs of the current era.
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Muhammad Yunus was named among the most desired thinkers the world should listen to by the FP 100 in the December 2009 issue of Foreign Policy magazine.
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Muhammad Yunus received 50 honorary doctorate degrees from universities from Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, and the US.
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Muhammad Yunus sits on the Board of United Nations Foundation, Schwab Foundation, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Grameen Credit Agricole Microcredit Foundation.
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Muhammad Yunus has been a member of Fondation Chirac's honour committee, ever since the foundation was launched in 2008 by former French president Jacques Chirac in order to promote world peace.
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Muhammad Yunus has delivered numerous lectures around the world, and has appeared on popular television shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2006, The Colbert Report in 2008, Real Time with Bill Maher in 2009 and The Simpsons in 2010.
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On Google+, Muhammad Yunus was one of the most followed people worldwide, with over two million followers until Google closed its operations in 2019.
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Muhammad Yunus has played a key advisory role in the Paris 2024 Olympics, promoting social business principles and encouraging sustainable, socially responsible projects.
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Muhammad Yunus's influence led to initiatives like prioritizing social businesses in public tenders and integrating social housing into the athletes' village redevelopment.