Dhaka, April 26: A special envoy of French President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday said major French companies inspired by Prof Muhammad Yunus's new theory of social business want to make investments in Bangladesh.
Martin Hirsch said Yunus is known to the French people and companies for his initiative for alleviation poverty as well as the new concept of social business that has attracted many leading French companies.
Addressing a press conference at the residence of the French ambassador in Dhaka prior to his departure ending his three-day visit to Bangladesh, Hirsch said he came to Dhaka to brief Bangladesh leaders including the prime minister on the agenda of the G-20 summit and know the latest about Grameen Bank and its founder.
"We don't interfere even one millimeter into the internal affairs of Bangladesh and its legal and judicial process," he said. "It is no more secret about the current difficulties between the Bangladesh government and Grameen Bank in the international arena."
Replying to a question over the issue of Yunus, the envoy said: "In France we are quite surprised by the incident in Grameen Bank."
Hirsch told the reporters that he handed over a letter of Sarkozy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his meeting at Gano Bhaban on Sunday.
The envoy said his country likes to see the Bangladesh government and the Grameen Bank of Prof Yunus come together to show their achievements in alleviating poverty on the international scene, especially before the G-20 summit to be held in France in November.
Source: The Daily Star
