A pioneering civil society leader and founding member of The Elders, Muhammad Yunus was a founding member of The Elders. In 2009 he stepped down from his role in the organisation, expressing regret that he was unable to do justice to his membership due to the demands of his work, but has maintained a close relationship with other members of the group over the subsequent years.

Professor Yunus founded Grameen Bank, a pioneering microcredit institution dedicated to providing small loans to the poor to foster entrepreneurship and economic growth.

His groundbreaking efforts in poverty alleviation and empowering people in poverty earned him international recognition and a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

In August 2024, Muhammad Yunus was entrusted with the responsibility of restoring stability and democracy to Bangladesh amid a national crisis.