After a student-led uprising toppled Bangladesh’s authoritarian Prime Minister last year, a known leader stepped up to guide the nation toward democracy: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Decades earlier, Yunus established the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh to empower the most marginalized communities through small loans, helping millions—97% of them women—build businesses, sustain their families, and reclaim their dignity. I first met Yunus when he traveled to Arkansas to help then governor Bill Clinton and me set up similar programs in the U.S. Since then, wherever I’ve traveled in the world, I have witnessed the extraordinary impact of his work—lives transformed, communities lifted, and hope reborn.
Now, Yunus has answered his country’s call once more. As he shepherds Bangladesh out of the shadows of oppression, he is restoring human rights, demanding accountability, and laying the foundations for a just and free society.
Clinton, a Democrat, is a former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State