& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

US worried about GB

Mozena tells Muhith

Staff Correspondent
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena yesterday conveyed to Finance Minister AMA Muhith his country's concern about recent developments in the Grameen Bank issue.
This expression of worry comes after the government has made a move to amend the Grameen Bank Ordinance of 1983, apparently giving more power to the bank's chairman to choose its managing director, sidelining other directors of the GB board.
After a two-hour meeting with the minister at the secretariat, the ambassador told reporters that they had discussed the importance of the Nobel Peace Prize winning Grameen Bank in Bangladesh's development.
"We agreed on the importance of sustaining the bank as a strong and effective body. We agreed on the importance of continuing the unique governance structures for the borrowers' control of the bank," Mozenasaid.
He said he had discussed with the minister the need for a strong, internationally recognised and credible new managing director of Grameen Bank.
"I was encouraged by the strong support from the minister to keep the bank strong and effective and to
have a good, internationally recognised and credible new managing director."
The finance minister, however, declined to talk to the press.
America is a strong supporter of Grameen Bank and Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, whose resignation from the bank last year led to the vacancy in the position of managing director of the microcredit organisation.
On the much-talked about Padma bridge project, Mozena said he still hoped that a way could be found to proceed with the project with World Bank funding.
The ambassador also said negotiations on the Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement were going on between the two countries.
NBR ASKS FOR INFO
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) yesterday sought help from the govern-
ment-appointed Grameen Bank Commission to expedite its investigation into the microfinance organisation and its 54 associated but legally independent entities.
The NBR sent the commission a letter seeking details, including names and tax-related information of those organisations, said an NBR official.
The NBR has so far detected tax files of Grameen Bank's 25 entities, including Grameen Telecom, Grameen Shakti and Grameen Fabrics and Fashions Ltd, said the official.
It has also received tax records of social businesses Grameen-Danone, Grameen Veolia Water Ltd and Grameen Uniqlo.
On May 16 this year, the government set up the four-member commission to review the activities of the Grameen Bank and its associated enterprises, and make recommendations on how to run the organisations.