Appellate Division clears way for court proceedings against Dr Yunus
Upon a complaint, a criminal case was filed under sections 4, 7, 8, 117, 234 of the Labour Act
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has dismissed a leave to appeal petition filed by Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three others challenging the proceedings of a labour law violation case in the lower court.
The Appellate Bench led by Justice Md Nuruzzaman, a senior judge of the Appellate Division, passed the order yesterday paving the way for the Labour Court to continue its proceeding.
Lawyer Abdullah Al Mamun stood for Dr Muhammad Yunus while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan attended the hearing on behalf of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE).
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Meanwhile, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state.
On 9 September 2021, DIFE Labour Inspector Arifuzzaman filed the case with Dhaka 3rd Labour Court. Other accused in the case are- Ashraful Hasan, Managing Director of Grameen Telecom, and its directors Nurzahan Begum and Shahjahan.
According to the case, in an inspection visit to Grameen Telecom inspectors of the department found that 101 workers and staff who were supposed to be permanent were not made so.
No participation fund and welfare fund was formed for them and five per cent of the company's profit was not provided to the workers following the law.
Upon a complaint, a criminal case was filed under sections 4, 7, 8, 117, 234 of the Labour Act.
On 12 October the labour court granted bail to all four accused. Later on 7 December Professor Yunus filed a petition with the High Court (HC) seeking scrapping of the case.
On 12 December HC stayed the procedure of a case for six months. On 17 August last year, the HC rejected a petition to scrap the case.
Later Prof Yunus filed a leave to appeal against the HC verdict.
