Yunus in his Dhaka office.
Photographer: Fabeha Monir/BloombergWhy the Nobel-Laureate Pioneer of Microfinance Risks Life in Jail
Muhammad Yunus is lauded in the West and revered by millions at home in Bangladesh. But the government there says he’s corrupt.
Muhammad Yunus had barely left his office overlooking Dhaka when dozens of men pushed past the security guards. Flooding the lobby of the modern 13-story complex in Bangladesh’s capital, they jumped over turnstiles and piled into elevators. Shouting at staff, the men detained managers for hours of questioning and secured doors with bicycle locks. For several days in February, they occupied the building, home to social businesses chaired by Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his pioneering work in microfinance—tiny loans for the world’s poorest people.
Listen and follow The Big Take Asia on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts