DHAKA, January 1, 2024 – In a surprising turn of events, a court in Dhaka sentenced Nobel Laureate economist and Grameen Telecom Chairman Dr. Muhammad Yunus along with three others to six months in prison and fined Tk 25,000 each in a case filed on charges of violating the labor law. The verdict was pronounced by Judge Begum Sheikh Merina Sultana of Dhaka’s third labor court around 3 pm.
The three others facing the penalty are Grameen Telecom’s former managing director Md Ashraful Hasan, directors Nur Jahan Begum, and Md Shahjahan. The maximum punishment in this case is six-month imprisonment and a fine of Tk 25,000.
However, a Dhaka court on Monday granted bail to Dr. Muhammad Yunus in a case filed for the violation of the labor law, on the condition of appealing against the verdict within a month. Judge Sheikh Merina Sultana of Dhaka’s Third Labour Court granted the bail.
Expressing his disbelief, Dr. Yunus stated, 'I haven't committed any crime, yet I find myself punished for it. This sorrow lingers in my heart.' Dr. Yunus addressed journalists following the announcement of the verdict.
Subsequently, Dr. Yunus's lawyer, Abdullah Al Mamun, criticized the decision as unjustifiable. He informed journalists that the judgment in the labor court is incomplete, and Dr. Yunus has not received justice from the court.
Present in the courtroom during the verdict announcement were human rights activist Irene Khan, photographer Shahidul Alam, Asif Nazrul, a professor in the Law Department at Dhaka University, and lawyer and human rights activist Sara Hossain.
Irene Khan conveyed to journalists that Dr. Yunus is taken aback by the judgment. She believes that this penalty has been imposed on him to evoke surprise.
The case against Dr. Yunus and three others was filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) on September 9, 2021, alleging violations of the labor law. Charges were framed on June 6, and a petition to scrap the trial proceeding was rejected by the Appellate Division on August 20 of the same year.
The labor court began taking depositions of witnesses on August 22, with four DIFE officials giving depositions against Dr. Yunus and others. The verdict announcement was set for January 1, as decided by Judge Merina Sultana on December 24.
According to the case statement, Grameen Telecom allegedly failed to make workers' and employees' recruitment permanent in accordance with the Labor Law 2006 and the Labor Rules 2015. Additionally, workers and employees were not granted annual leave with pay, leave encashment, and cash against leave.
In response to the allegations, Dr. Yunus and the other defendants stated in a written statement on November 9 that employees of Grameen Telecom are appointed on contract as per the organization’s policy. They argued that all officials and employees enjoy provident fund, gratuity, earned leave, and retirement leave like permanent employees.
Grameen Telecom, being a non-profit organization under section 28 of the Company Act, asserted that its profit is not for distribution but is utilized for social development, challenging the claims made in the case statement.
