An American journalist once asked Muhammad Yunus during an interview, “You always complain about the World Bank. Instead of criticizing, tell us, what steps would you take if you were the President of the World Bank
In response, Yunus said, “I have never thought about what I would do if I were the President of the World Bank. However, if I were to become the President, my first action might be to relocate its headquarters to Dhaka.”
The journalist countered, “Can you tell me the reason behind such an unusual decision?”
Muhammad Yunus replied, “The truth is, if the headquarters were moved to Dhaka, the five thousand employees of the World Bank would likely refuse the offer to relocate. They do not consider Dhaka suitable for raising their children properly or for a pleasant social life. As a result, many would voluntarily retire or change jobs. This would provide me with two benefits: first, we could eliminate those who are not fully dedicated to poverty alleviation. Second, we could recruit workers who are knowledgeable about and committed to addressing the problems.”
His books have been translated into 25 languages around the world. Several of his books have made it to The New York Times bestseller list. His biography has been included in the national curriculum for seventh graders in Canada, and Canadian children read about his life. In 2012, he was made the Vice Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, despite its constitution stating that only British citizens could hold the position. The constitution was amended to accommodate him as Vice-Chancellor.
From 1978 to 2024, Dr. Yunus has received almost 150 awards and honors, both national and international. Among these are the three most prestigious awards in the world: the Nobel Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the United States, and the Congressional Gold Medal. Only 12 people in history have received all three, and Professor Yunus is one of them. Currently, 104 universities and colleges in 33 countries have established Yunus Social Business Centers in his name, where research is conducted on his work, philosophy, and social business theory. Academic courses on social business have been introduced in various institutions. The theme of the latest Olympics was based on his social business theory
From a young age, Dr. Yunus was a bookworm. His elder brother was also a great book lover. They used to study together in a single room. The office of their father’s gold business was located on the floor below. Whenever their father checked to see if they were studying, he would hear the sound of their shoes and find them hurriedly switching from non-academic books to textbooks. When their father saw them studying, he would be pleased and affectionately pat their heads. To avoid getting caught reading newspapers and storybooks regularly, they would give the address of a nearby bookstore to newspaper hawkers instead of their home address. In his autobiography, Yunus humorously recalls this time:
“My elder brother and I read everything we could get our hands on. I was a fan of mystery, adventure, and detective stories. At the age of twelve, I had written a whole mystery story myself. It became impossible for us to continuously supply ourselves with reading material. We had to come up with our own solutions—buying books, borrowing, and even stealing. Our favorite children’s magazine, Sukhtara, was published from Kolkata. It had a regular competition, and winning meant getting a free subscription. Winners’ names were published in the magazine. I wrote a letter to the editor:
‘Dear Editor,
I am [name], a winning contestant. Our address has changed. I would be grateful if you could send my free subscription to Boxirhat.
The house number is…’
We gave the address of a neighboring store instead of our actual address to prevent the magazine from falling into our father’s hands. Every month we eagerly awaited the free issue. This plan worked flawlessly as if in a dream.”
In recent years, his new concept of a ‘Three Zero World’ has gained global popularity. He envisions a future where poverty, unemployment, and greenhouse gas emissions are all reduced to zero. He shares how to achieve these three zeros in his book, *A World of Three Zeros*. Many countries have started adopting his new philosophy, and various educational institutions and organizations are aligning their social business activities with his ideas. As his philosophy spreads rapidly worldwide, it is anticipated that he will once again be in discussions for a Nobel Prize in Economics in the coming years.
In recent decades, Professor Yunus has been honored wherever he has gone, enriching the name of Bangladesh. Wherever he has traveled, people have shown him the highest respect. His name would top the list of leading intellectuals currently alive. He would be among the top five intellectuals globally. Yunus, as a native of this country, is a source of immense pride and joy for us. If there is any global icon representing Bangladesh, it is Professor Muhammad Yunus. Creating another Yunus in a hundred years would be impossible.