Bangladesh’s Interim Prime Minister: Al-Azhar Played a Historic Role in Bangladesh’s Renaissance and Saved the “Grameen Bank” Initiative
Bangladesh’s Interim Prime Minister: Al-Azhar’s Fatwa on the “Grameen Bank” Saved Bangladesh’s Poor
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Invites the Grand Imam to Visit His Country
Bangladesh’s Interim Prime Minister: We Cannot Imagine the Future of the Important “Grameen Bank” Project for Our Country’s Development Without Al-Azhar’s Fatwa
Today, Prof. Ahmas At-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and MCE Chairman, received the Interim Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. Muhammad Yunus, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, at the Imam’s residence in Baku, Azerbaijan, on the sidelines of their participation #COP29.
Mr. Yunus expressed his happiness at meeting the Grand Imam, as well as his country’s deep appreciation for him and the pride they feel towards the thousands of Bangladeshi students who have studied at Al-Azhar. He emphasized that Bangladesh cherishes its relationship with Al-Azhar and seeks to strengthen it, opening new avenues for collaboration in various religious and educational fields. He noted that Al-Azhar played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s renaissance through its support for the “Grameen Bank” initiative in the early 1980s, which led to Mr. Yunus receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The initiative provided accessible loans to women and housewives to manage small projects that would help them cope with the burdens of life.
Mr. Yunus pointed out that the “Grameen Bank” initiative was initially rejected by most religious leaders in Bangladesh on the grounds that it conflicted with Islamic principles. As a result, he sought a fatwa and guidance from Al-Azhar, given the trust that the Bangladeshi people have in this prestigious Islamic institution, which is regarded as the foremost religious authority worldwide. Al-Azhar welcomed the project and supported it with a fatwa that reassured the Bangladeshi people, guiding them in the right direction and saving the future of the important initiative. This initiative has since benefited over 10 million people and expanded into other development areas, including education and housing. Mr. Yunus remarked, “I cannot imagine the future of this important project for our country without Al-Azhar’s fatwa at that time.”
For his part, the Grand Imam expressed Al-Azhar’s pride in its historical ties with Bangladesh and its efforts to strengthen these relations by welcoming students from Bangladesh to study at Al-Azhar at various educational levels. He reaffirmed Al-Azhar’s readiness to increase scholarships for Bangladeshi students to study at Al-Azhar University, focusing on fields that align with the aspirations and needs of the Bangladeshi people. He prayed to Allah to grant Mr. Yunus success in his mission to lead Bangladesh to safety, stability, and the spread of peace and security.
Mr. Yunus extended an invitation to the Grand Imam to visit Bangladesh, stressing that the Bangladeshi people eagerly await this visit. The Grand Imam welcomed the invitation and affirmed his eagerness to visit Bangladesh at the earliest opportunity.
The meeting was attended by Prof. Nazir Ayyad, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Mr. Muhammad Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the MCE, and Ambassador Abdul Rahman Musa, Advisor for External Affairs at Al-Azhar.
Al-Azhar Al-Sharif
