CA Yunus urges Islamic NGOs to take up social business to support Muslim world

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus today (6 July) urged Islamic non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to take up more social business to support the Muslim world.

He made the call when a group of NGO leaders from different Muslim countries met him at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka, reads a statement from the CA's Press Wing.

"In our world we focus on women, health care. If you are poor, you have health care problems. We approached health care as a means to support the poor," the chief adviser said.

He said social business is a good way to carry out this support, adding that he was encouraging young people around the world to take up social business and become entrepreneurs.

The NGO leaders present in the meeting said the social business campaign that Yunus carried out in recent years had encouraged them to take up similar ventures in their respective countries.

Eyüp Akbal, secretary general of the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World, UNIW from Turkey; Muhammed Hüseyin Akta, representative of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA); Fauwaz Bin Hasbullah, Persatuan Wadah Pencerdasan Umat Malaysia (WADAH), UNIW and deputy secretary general, UNIW from Malaysia; Muhammad Abdus Shakoor, president of Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan and deputy secretary general of UNIW from Pakistan, and Dr Salamun Bashri, auditing board member, UNIW from Indonesia were present at the meeting as foreign delegates.

Besides, Mahbub Ahmed, retired professor of Dhaka University and president of BIIT; SM Rasheduzzman, chairman SAWAB and member of High Advisory Board, UNIW; Dr Ali Afzal, council member, UNIW and managing director, Krishibid Group; and Dr M Abdul Aziz, director general, BIIT and country representative, IIIT were also present at the meeting among others.