Yunus Centre scraps social business event in absence of police clearance

Yunus Centre has cancelled a two-day event to mark Social Business Day after being denied security clearance by police.

In a statement on Thursday evening, the centre said it cancelled the event to be held at Savar's Samajik Convention Centre "due to unavoidable circumstances".

"We humbly apologise to the guests and participants, local and from around the world, who have spent their time and money to take part in this conference," the statement said.

Yunus Centre, which promotes the social business ideas of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, will air some programmes live on its Facebook page from 10:30am Friday. 

Bangladesh Police chief AKM Shahidul Hoque earlier told the media that the organiser informed authorities about its event at the last minute.

“It doesn’t help if we are kept in the dark and informed only three days before the event,” said Hoque.

The letter informing the authorities of the event to be held on Friday and Saturday was sent out on Monday, he told reporters in his office.

The application filed by Yunus Centre to relevant ministries and agencies seeking cooperation for the event was however dated July 20.

IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque. File Photo.

“All of a sudden, they informed Dhaka’s superintendent of police about guests who will be arriving for the international conference,” Hoque said.

The government welcomes such international events, and the police are capable of providing security, but adequate time is needed for preparations, he said.

“When this kind of conference is held, we chalk out the details together with the organisers, the foreign office, ministries and law-enforcement units and intelligence agencies. This is how we meet the organiser's requirements.”

“Some are saying that the government shut it down, which is not true … the foreign ministry didn’t know about it ... there are foreign guests but the foreign ministry doesn't know, how does that work?

The centre in its statement said 200 international participants were already in the country: Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations Thomas Gass was invited as the key speaker.

"Roughly 2,000 people, among them about 400 foreigners, from 50 countries have registered to participate in the conference," it said.

Yunus Centre has described the event as a platform to share experiences in social business for “solving persistent social and economic problems around the world”.

IGP Hoque said Yunus Centre has asked the Dhaka Superintendent of Police for security at the conference's Zirabo location.

“But the SP cannot provide security for an event of this magnitude on short notice and that is what he told the organisers.”