Professor Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Shikkha

Professor Muhammad Yunus, founder and managing director of Grameen Bank and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, created Grameen Shikkha in 1997. 

Besides the Nobel Prize, Professor Yunus has been awarded numerous awards including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom 2009, Global Humanitarian Award 2008, RED CROSS Gold Medal 2007, Harvard University Neustadt Award 2006, The Economist Innovation Award 2004, Colombian National Merit Order Award 2003, Mahatma Gandhi Award 2002, Ho Chi Minh Award 2001, King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Award 2000, Award of the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Senate 2000, Rotary Award for World Understanding 1999, International Simon Bolivar Prize 1996, World Food Prize 1994, CARE Humanitarian Award 1993, Bangladesh Central Bank Award 1985, Ramon Magsaysay Award 1984 etc. in recognition for his outstanding contribution toward poverty reduction, world peace and human development.

Professor Yunus founded Grameen Shikkha, a not-for-profit social enterprise incorporated under the Companies Act 1994, to promote development of education in the country especially amongst the poor and disadvantaged and had been its Chairperson since Shikkha was established in 1997 until 8 August 2028 . He worked for Shikkha on a fully voluntary basis.

 

Md. Ashraful Hassan, Present Chairman

A civil engineer by education, Mr. Ashraful Hassan was one the closest associates of Nobel Laueate Professor Muhammad Yunus since the earlier days of Grameen and was very insrumental in the development of different Grameen programs and organizations. He has been working as Chairman of Grameen Shikkha since 9 August 2024.