Grameen review report filed

A commission reviewing the working of the Grameen Bank has submitted its report to the Ministry of Finance.

The Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said he had asked the commission to file a separate set of suggestions to deal with Gameen Bank’s close to 58 sister organizations.

Chairman of the Grameen Bank Commission and former secretary Mamunur Rashid placed his final report around noon on Monday, Finance Minister told bdnews24.com.

“In the final document, the commission has added some structural matters to its interim report. There isn’t a lot of difference to what they filed earlier”, said Muhith.

“I have what I needed. Now I will take step-by-step measures for Grameen Bank.”

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“I am taking this to be the commission’s final report. But I have requested them to quickly submit a separate set of recommendations on measures that can be taken for the 58 sister organisations of the Grameen Bank.”

He said the government would be able to act once it had the suggestions.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet has approved a proposal to turn into law the Grameen Bank ordinance, making it compulsory for the bank to submit its accounts to the central bank.

The law will be passed in the ongoing session of Parliament. “The commission’s report was highly required before placing the bill in Parliament. This is the reason why I was rushing them. But there aren’t any more problems now.”

Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus had been the Bank’s MD since its formation.

The Bangladesh Bank removed Yunus in 2011 because he had crossed the permissible age to hold the post.

The position has remained vacant since.

A documentary aired on the Norwegian national TV in 2010 accused Yunus of transferring foreign funds from one account to another without informing the donors.

The government formed a commission to probe the allegation.

A section of the media said recently that the Grameen Bank Commission had recommended decentralization of the Bank’s structure in its primary report.