Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman received the Gusi Peace Prize 2014 at a ceremony held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila on Wednesday.
The Gusi Peace Prize foundation has termed the BB governor as the “poor man’s economist” in the award citation.
“I see this prestigious Gusi peace prize initiative as a reaffirmation of our collective commitment to human progress through poverty eradication and social empowerment of the disadvantaged segments of our communities,” the central bank chief said while addressing the ceremony.
Dr. Rahman also said the prize reinvigorates and inspires all awardees hugely on their journey onward, for economic and environmental emancipation.
The BB governor is one of the 15 recipients of this year. The other winners are from Austria, China, Congo, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Nepal, Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia. He is the second Bangladeshi to get this award.
The initiatives in Bangladesh for promoting equitable, inclusive and environmentally sustainable socioeconomic growth and development have paid the country well in terms of attaining consistently less volatile six plus growth rate, falling inflation and stable exchange rate, according to the BB governor.
“I have persistently tried to steer banking away from its traditional urban elite oriented focus towards meaningful financial inclusion of the underserved poor,” a BB statement quoted the governor as saying.
From Bangladesh, AHM Nouman, founder and secretary general of the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor, won the award in 2013 for his contribution towards poverty alleviation and humanitarianism.
The Gusi Peace Prize, one of the foremost peace prize in Asia and the whole world given by Gusi Peace Prize International, based in Manila, Philippines.
In 2002 Gusi Peace Foundation introduced the peace award in the name of Javier Gusi who was a participant of Guerrilla war against Japan in the Second World War, turned politician, and became popular for his fight for human rights.
Main objectives of this prize is to give proper recognition through the conferment of awards of excellence and distinction to individuals or groups worldwide who have distinguished themselves as brilliant exemplars of society or who contributed toward the attainment of peace and respect for human life and dignity.
The BB governor is expected to return on November 28.
BBN/SSR/AD-26Nov14-11:50 pm (BST)
