One of the lead signatories who signed the open letter to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh as advertised in the Washington Post recently, Sam Daley-Harris, an American activist and author as well as advocate for hunger eradication and democracy, elaborated the reason for it in an exclusive interview, “The 40 public figures who signed the letter are simply some of the best-known among the millions of people around the world who have been inspired by and have benefitted from the work of Muhammad Yunus, and who want to see him remain safe.” He also added, “The signers wanted to use their status as public figures to make sure that the world knew about the growing concern about the well-being of Prof. Yunus. We weren’t going to leave it to chance as to whether newspapers did or didn’t pick up the statement.” 

While clarifying to another question, Sam Daley-Harris (in the pic below, from citizensclimatelobby.org) said, a small group of us have been trying to do whatever we can to see [Bangladesh] officials know that the world is watching. We were horrified when we read that the head of government said ”[Yunus] should be plunged into the Padma River twice.  He should be just plunged in a bit and pulled out so he doesn’t die, and then pulled up onto the bridge.  That perhaps will teach him a lesson.”

He also refuted with saying that, “No, it was the actions of the Government against Professor Yunus that provoked us to take action,” not Prof. Yunus in any manner.

Sam Daley-Harris said, “I began working closely with Professor Yunus in 1987 and continued that close working relationship for 25 years. In 1990, 28 volunteers from four countries, all from the anti-poverty lobby I founded in 1980, traveled to Bangladesh. We broke up into 13 groups and lived in the villages for five days interviewing Grameen Bank borrowers and staff. We saw the brilliant work up close and personal. We know Professor Yunus, we see his integrity, and his commitment to the betterment of his country. We see the threats to his freedom with multiple bogus investigations going on,” while explaining the vital appreciation for Prof. Yunus as expressed in the letter.

He concluded while expressing the outcome of the open letter they have published, “We hope that the harassment of this selfless and tireless worker for the elimination of poverty will stop, at least the harassment from the government and people the government influences. This will allow him to put his time and energy into improving the lives of people in Bangladesh and around the world.”

In the pic above (from Linkedin / AMC Consulting LLC), Prof. Yunus and Alex Counts, author of “Small Loans, Big Dreams”, 2022 Edition: Grameen Bank and the Microfinance Revolution in Bangladesh, America, and Beyond