Bangladeshi Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus says it is a "million-dollar question" why the prime minister hates him, but says many believe she sees him as a political threat.

Yunus, 83, is credited with lifting millions out of poverty with his pioneering microfinance bank but has earned the enmity of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Last month, several of his firms were "forcefully" taken over, weeks after his conviction in a criminal case his supporters say was politically motivated.