Kalam wants India to adopt Bangladesh's Grameen Bank model

Responding to Kalam, who is on a three-day visit here, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus on Sunday said that Grameen Bank would be delighted to help in any effort to set up micro credit programmes in India and is already involved in such an effort in Kerala.

Yunus presented Kalam the Hindi translation of his book "Banker of the Poor" during his visit to the Grameen Bank, the Daily Star reported.

India's first technocrat president, who held office from 2002 to 2007, also mooted joint research and development, using modern technology, of jute -- the “golden fibre” common to Bangladesh and India. Its production has steadily declined in recent years.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday hosted a dinner in Kalam's honour.

Kalam's itinerary here includes visiting Dhaka University and the historic Viqarunnisa Noon School and College.

Kalam, along with President Zillur Rahman, will Monday attend the first convocation of the University of Information Technology and Sciences (UITS).