Al-Azhar played historic role in Bangladesh's renaissance and saved the “Grameen Bank” initiative, head of the interim government of Bangladesh 

Al-Azhar's fatwa on the Grameen Bank saved the poor people of Bangladesh

We cannot imagine the future of the Grameen Bank project, which is important for the renaissance of our country, without Al-Azhar's fatwa

The head of interim government of Bangladesh invites the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar to visit the country

Al-Azhar Grand Imam (GI) and MCE Chairman, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, received this morning the Honorable Muhammad Yunus, the head of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, at his residence in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, on the sidelines of their participation in the 2024 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).

Yunus expressed his happiness for meeting the Grand Imam, and his country's appreciation for His Eminence, and their pride in the affiliation of thousands of Bangladeshis to Al-Azhar in terms of education and methodology. He pointed out that Bangladesh is proud of its relations with Al-Azhar and seeks to strengthen them and open new horizons for cooperation in various dawah and educational fields. He stressed that Al-Azhar played an important historical role in the renaissance of Bangladesh when His Excellency presented the Grameen Bank initiative in the early eighties of the last century, for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize, represented in providing easy financing for women and housewives to manage small projects that enable them to bear the costs of life.

Mr. Yunus pointed out that the initiative was initially rejected by most religious leaders in Bangladesh, on the pretext that it contradicted the provisions of Sharia law. This prompted him to request a fatwa and consultation from Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, given the confidence of the Bangladeshi people in this esteemed Islamic institution, which represents the most important Islamic reference in the world. Al-Azhar welcomed the project and supported it with a fatwa that reassured the Bangladeshi people, pointed the compass in the right direction, and saved the future of the important project that later contributed to the renaissance of Bangladesh. The number of beneficiaries of this initiative exceeded 10 million people, and it extended to include other development projects in the fields of education and housing. He stated, “I cannot imagine the future of this important project for our country without Al-Azhar’s fatwa at that time.”

His Eminence the Grand Imam stressed Al-Azhar’s pride in its historical relations with Bangladesh, and its efforts to strengthen them by receiving incoming students to study at various educational levels at Al-Azhar. He stressed Al-Azhar’s readiness to increase scholarships allocated for Bangladeshis to join Al-Azhar University, and direct them to study in fields that meet the desires and aspirations of the Bangladeshi people. He called on Allah Almighty to grant Mr. Muhammad Yunus success in his mission to lead Bangladesh to safety, stability, and security.

The head of the Interim Government of Bangladesh extended an invitation to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar to visit Bangladesh, stressing that the Bangladeshi people are eagerly awaiting this visit. The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar welcomed this generous invitation, stressing his keenness to respond to this generous invitation at the earliest opportunity.

The meeting was attended by Prof. Nazir Ayad, Grand Mufti of Egypt, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders, and Ambassador Abdel Rahman Moussa, Advisor for Foreign Affairs at Al-Azhar.