US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena yesterday conveyed to Finance Minister AMA Muhith his country's concern about recent developments in the Grameen Bank issue.
This expression of worry comes after the government has made a move to amend the Grameen Bank Ordinance of 1983, apparently giving more power to the bank's chairman to choose its managing director, sidelining other directors of the GB board.
After a two-hour meeting with the minister at the secretariat, the ambassador told reporters that they had discussed the importance of the Nobel Peace Prize winning Grameen Bank in Bangladesh's development.
"We agreed on the importance of sustaining the bank as a strong and effective body. We agreed on the importance of continuing the unique governance structures for the borrowers' control of the bank," Mozena said.
He said he had discussed with the minister the need for a strong, internationally recognised and credible new managing director of Grameen Bank.
"I was encouraged by the strong support from the minister to keep the bank strong and effective and to have a good, internationally recognised and credible new managing director."
The finance minister, however, declined to talk to the press.
America is a strong supporter of Grameen Bank and Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, whose resignation from the bank last year led to the vacancy in the position of managing director of the microcredit organisation.
On the much-talked about Padma bridge project, Mozena said he still hoped that a way could be found to proceed with the project with World Bank funding.
The ambassador also said negotiations on the Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement were going on between the two countries.
This expression of worry comes after the government has made a move to amend the Grameen Bank Ordinance of 1983, apparently giving more power to the bank's chairman to choose its managing director, sidelining other directors of the GB board.
After a two-hour meeting with the minister at the secretariat, the ambassador told reporters that they had discussed the importance of the Nobel Peace Prize winning Grameen Bank in Bangladesh's development.
"We agreed on the importance of sustaining the bank as a strong and effective body. We agreed on the importance of continuing the unique governance structures for the borrowers' control of the bank," Mozena said.
He said he had discussed with the minister the need for a strong, internationally recognised and credible new managing director of Grameen Bank.
"I was encouraged by the strong support from the minister to keep the bank strong and effective and to have a good, internationally recognised and credible new managing director."
The finance minister, however, declined to talk to the press.
America is a strong supporter of Grameen Bank and Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, whose resignation from the bank last year led to the vacancy in the position of managing director of the microcredit organisation.
On the much-talked about Padma bridge project, Mozena said he still hoped that a way could be found to proceed with the project with World Bank funding.
The ambassador also said negotiations on the Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement were going on between the two countries.
