Most countries would appreciate and be proud of their Nobel laureates. However, this is not the case with Bangladeshi professor Muhammad Yunus, whom Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has openly called a public enemy, the news agency wrote. AP.

He said the 83-year-old economist, nicknamed the poor people’s banker for his groundbreaking concept of small, long-term loans to help underprivileged people start businesses, was a parasite. Hasinová accused him of the fact that the bank he founded had very high interest rates and that he enriched himself from poor people rather than anything else.

Yunus faces several lawsuits from the Prime Minister. But in recent weeks, several have been added. One of them was filed by 18 former employees of his company, Grameen Telecom, who stated that he revoked the work benefits promised to them. He then appeared separately in court on August 22 on charges of allegedly violating labor law regulations.

Yunus and 13 other people were also named in the case initiated by the anti-corruption commission, in which they were accused of embezzling Grameen Telecom funds.

More than 170 world famous figures defended him, which an open letter asked the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to stop “constantly prosecuting” Yunus. According to the signatories, including former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U2 singer Bono, it is an attack on democracy.

“We sincerely hope that (Yunus) can continue his pioneering work without persecution and harassment,” the letter said.

Jonah’s legal cry occurred more than a decade ago. For example, in 2011, the Central Bank of Bangladesh forced him to leave Grameen Banks on the grounds that he had worked past the retirement age of 60. In 2013, he was instead accused of tax evasion, which should have included royalties from the book and even the Nobel Prize itself. His lawyers later claimed that these cases were fabricated and influenced by the government.

Many commentators believe that the popular professor in the West was trying to exit the public sphere because of his attempt to establish a political party in 2007. This was clearly on the agenda of the military-backed interim government. This could have made him an enemy in the eyes of Prime Minister Hasina, as the same government imprisoned him at that time. But the banker didn’t even finish his plan, and since then politicians have avoided him saying “it’s not his cup of coffee”.

This motivation can also be demonstrated by the fact that these latest allegations emerged just four months before the parliamentary elections. At the same time, society is increasingly pressing to ensure a free and fair election process.

However, Yunus’ persistence in prosecuting actually shows that this is not just a pragmatic and momentary reason. Ali Riaz, a political scientist from Illinois State University stated this BBC, that Hanis “really hated” Yunus. In particular, he downplayed his status as a world icon despite his passive stance in politics.

Hanis also worries that Professor Yunus’ fame will eclipse that of his late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whom many Bangladeshis revere as the man who led their country to independence. He was murdered in 1975.

According to Riaz, the regime’s continued attacks on Professor Yunus are also a manifestation of increasing intolerance towards dissent and threaten the principles of democracy.

“The sudden rush to file lawsuits and efforts to speed up the trial process shows that the goal is not justice, but making this case an example. “Such behavior is demonstrated every day against opposition activists and government critics,” he added.