In 1976, Sufia Khatun of Jobra village, seeking respite from poverty, took a small loan from Grameen Bank. With that loan, the 'Bank for the poor' began its journey.
Thirty-five years later, little has changed for Sufia Khatun's family. The first borrower of Grameen Bank has died poor; as a beggar.Her two daughters, Halima Khatun and Nurunnahar Begum — one a house wife and the other mentally disabled; live a marginalised life.
while visiting Sufia Khatun's house in Jobra under Hathazari Upazilla, Chittagongong, a sad state of affairs was noticed. Except for a five-katha dwelling of Halima and Nurunnahar, the family has no arable land.
Sufia Khatun died in 1997. The 'banker of the poor' Muhmmad Yunus and the Grameen Bank jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
'MORE LOAN TO REPAY LOAN'
Under Grameen Bank's microcredit scheme, Sufia Khatun borrowed Tk 560 in two installments in 1976. This was the first loan under Dr Yunus' action research programme before Grameen Bank launched its official microcredit scheme.
In 2010, Nurunnahar, Sufia Khatun's youngest daughter tells bdnews24.com, "Though my mother was the first borrower of microcredit scheme, though Yunus sahib has earned name and fame highlighting my mother, we have remained poor till today."
Nurunnahar said that her mother took the loan to start a cane furniture business. But her business did not take off. Instead she got embroiled in the web of loans. As the interest rate continued to rise, Sufia was forced to take loan from a different source to repay Grameen Bank's loan, said Nurunnahar.
'Since then none from our family ever went to Grameen Bank to borrow money,' said Nurunnahar.
'BORROWERS' OVERLOOKED'
Halima's son, Babul, a rickshaw-puller said that after Dr Yunus won Nobel peace prize, many journalists — both print and electronic — visited their village and took their photos. "The local Grameen Bank officials showed the reporters the building next to our house as ours, and the journalists taking its photo went away." The building belongs to Sufia Khatun's nephew Jebol Hossain, a migrant worker in Abu Dhabi.
Jebol, who was on a visit to his village home recently, told bdnews24.com that Dr Yunus has won Nobel Prize highlighting positive aspects of microcredit scheme. "He has visited foreign lands, given speeches lauding Grameen Bank activities. But no one has ever highlighted the conditions of the borrowers."
After winning the Nobel peace prize, Dr Yunus made a visit to Jobra village. No one from Sufia Khatun's family could meet Muhammad Yunus, said Nurunnahar and Jebol.
'NO TO FURTHER LOAN'
Another borrower from Grameen Bank who failed to improve his financial condition was Mohammad Hanif from Jobra village. Nurnnahar's neighbour Hanif borrowed Tk 2000 from Grameen Bank in 1986.
While talking to bdnews24.com, Hanif said that he bought a cow with the borrowed money. But failing to repay installment, he had to sell the cow. He repaid a Tk 2800 with interest in seven months.
"Though microcredit scheme has been publicised as beneficial for the poor, it was hardly the case for many of us," said Hanif. These days Hanif leads a modest life living off cultivation.
'I never went for a second loan from the Grameen ruefully ', said Hanif.
Thirty-five years later, little has changed for Sufia Khatun's family. The first borrower of Grameen Bank has died poor; as a beggar.Her two daughters, Halima Khatun and Nurunnahar Begum — one a house wife and the other mentally disabled; live a marginalised life.
while visiting Sufia Khatun's house in Jobra under Hathazari Upazilla, Chittagongong, a sad state of affairs was noticed. Except for a five-katha dwelling of Halima and Nurunnahar, the family has no arable land.
Sufia Khatun died in 1997. The 'banker of the poor' Muhmmad Yunus and the Grameen Bank jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
'MORE LOAN TO REPAY LOAN'
Under Grameen Bank's microcredit scheme, Sufia Khatun borrowed Tk 560 in two installments in 1976. This was the first loan under Dr Yunus' action research programme before Grameen Bank launched its official microcredit scheme.
In 2010, Nurunnahar, Sufia Khatun's youngest daughter tells bdnews24.com, "Though my mother was the first borrower of microcredit scheme, though Yunus sahib has earned name and fame highlighting my mother, we have remained poor till today."
Nurunnahar said that her mother took the loan to start a cane furniture business. But her business did not take off. Instead she got embroiled in the web of loans. As the interest rate continued to rise, Sufia was forced to take loan from a different source to repay Grameen Bank's loan, said Nurunnahar.
'Since then none from our family ever went to Grameen Bank to borrow money,' said Nurunnahar.
'BORROWERS' OVERLOOKED'
Halima's son, Babul, a rickshaw-puller said that after Dr Yunus won Nobel peace prize, many journalists — both print and electronic — visited their village and took their photos. "The local Grameen Bank officials showed the reporters the building next to our house as ours, and the journalists taking its photo went away." The building belongs to Sufia Khatun's nephew Jebol Hossain, a migrant worker in Abu Dhabi.
Jebol, who was on a visit to his village home recently, told bdnews24.com that Dr Yunus has won Nobel Prize highlighting positive aspects of microcredit scheme. "He has visited foreign lands, given speeches lauding Grameen Bank activities. But no one has ever highlighted the conditions of the borrowers."
After winning the Nobel peace prize, Dr Yunus made a visit to Jobra village. No one from Sufia Khatun's family could meet Muhammad Yunus, said Nurunnahar and Jebol.
'NO TO FURTHER LOAN'
Another borrower from Grameen Bank who failed to improve his financial condition was Mohammad Hanif from Jobra village. Nurnnahar's neighbour Hanif borrowed Tk 2000 from Grameen Bank in 1986.
While talking to bdnews24.com, Hanif said that he bought a cow with the borrowed money. But failing to repay installment, he had to sell the cow. He repaid a Tk 2800 with interest in seven months.
"Though microcredit scheme has been publicised as beneficial for the poor, it was hardly the case for many of us," said Hanif. These days Hanif leads a modest life living off cultivation.
'I never went for a second loan from the Grameen ruefully ', said Hanif.
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