FM criticizes Dr Yunus for accepting award from Israeli sculptor

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Thursday that Prof Yunus was not awarded by the UNESCO but it was lies spread by Yunus Centre.

"I am very surprised.. . Professor Muhammad Yunus receiving an award from an Israeli sculptor, very unfortunate..its very unfortunate." he told reporters at a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said when women and children were killed and human rights were violated in Gaza, Dr Yunus did not protest, on the contrary, he accepted an award from an Israeli sculptor, which was a inferred show of support for the massacres in Gaza.

Dr Yunus supported massacre by accepting Israeli sculptors award, the Foreign Minister said.

"in this situation in Gaza. Prof Yunus received an award from an Israeli.

What is this? What does it mean? Is it not supporting Israeli killings in Gaza7" Hasan asked.

He said Prof Yunus was not awarded by the UNESCO but it was lies spread by Yunus Centre.

Hasan said it is not the first time Yunus Centre did it but they did spread same falsehoods in the past. On Wednesday, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury said the UNESCO did not confer "The Tree of Peace" award to Nobel laureate Professor Yunus.

Mohibul, who is also the Chairman of the Bangladesh UNESCO Commission, made the statement to reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

He said "Dr Yunus was conferred the Tree of Peace award by an Israeli sculptor, upon invitation from the Ganjavi Foundation in Azerbaijan."

The Minister said that Dr Yunus claim that he received the award from UNESCO is untrue.

"The information propagated by the Yunus Centre regarding the UNESCO award is inaccurate and misleading," said the minister. "It is imperative that we set the record straight and ensure that such misinformation does not tarnish the reputation of our country. An explanation will be sent to the UNESCO headquarters regarding this matter as it is humiliating for Bangladesh."