04/19/2025
Diplomatic Correspondent | Published: 2025-04-17 16:32:17
Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi has said Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has gifted tremendous "sift power" to the country and they should never let that gift go to waste.
"Let’s be absolutely clear: This gentleman has gifted tremendous “soft power” to the country, which has a direct and unparalleled impact on what we are able to deliver for our citizens. We should never let that gift go to waste," he said, sharing his thoughts referring to the TIME magazine's recognition.
Dr Yunus was named among Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2025.
Given the extraordinary number of international awards to his name, Lutfey Siddiqi said, it is easy to think of these recognitions as “yet another one”.
"If this was a political leader, any one of these awards would have triggered celebratory roadblocks around the country, endless hyperbolic speeches, huge posters and large newspaper ads taken out by those seeking to curry favour," said the Special Envoy in a post shared from his verified Facebook account.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in a Time tribute praised Yunus for his leadership during this crucial time.
"Now, Yunus has answered his country’s call once more. As he shepherds Bangladesh out of the shadows of oppression, he is restoring human rights, demanding accountability, and laying the foundations for a just and free society," she said.
After a student-led uprising toppled Bangladesh’s authoritarian Prime Minister last year, a known leader stepped up to guide the nation toward democracy: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, said Clinton, a Democrat and a former US Senator.
Decades earlier, Yunus established the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh to empower the most marginalised communities through small loans, helping millions—97% of them women—build businesses, sustain their families and reclaim their dignity.
"I first met Yunus when he traveled to Arkansas to help then governor Bill Clinton and me set up similar programs in the U.S. Since then, wherever I’ve traveled in the world, I have witnessed the extraordinary impact of his work—lives transformed, communities lifted, and hope reborn," she said.
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