Howladar did bring up the idea of a guarantor, a well-to-do person in the village who would be willing to act on behalf of the borrower. With the backing of a guarantor, the bank might consider granting a loan without collateral. I considered the idea. It had obvious merit, but the drawbacks seemed insurmountable. “I can’t do that,” I explained to Howladar. “What would prevent the guarantor from taking advantage of the person whose loan he was guaranteeing? He could end up a tyrant. He could end up treating that borrower as a slave.”
