Dr Yunus denied permanent bail
A labour court today (16 April) dismissed the application of permanent bail for Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three other top officials of Grameen Telecom in a case filed over labour law violations.
Labour Appellate Tribunal Judge MA Awal gave the order today (16 April) after hearing the bail plea this morning.
Besides, the Labour Appellate Tribunal extended their bail period until 23 May.
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The three top officials are Grameen Telecom Managing Director Md Ashraful Hasan, Director Nurjahan Begum, and Md Shahjahan.
Earlier on 1 January, Judge Sheikh Marina Sultana of Dhaka's Labour Court 3 sentenced Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three other senior officials of the organisation to six months imprisonment and fined Tk30,000 each in a case filed on charges of violating labour law.
The charges include failing to provide a 5% dividend to the Grameen Telecom workers, not regularising 101 staff, and not compensating workers for public holidays.
At today's hearing, Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun represented Dr Yunus.
He said Dr Yunus filed the plea for permanent bail against this sentence.
The labour law violation case
On 9 September 2021, Labour Inspector Arifuzzaman of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments filed the case with Dhaka's Third Labour Court.
According to the case documents, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments officials visited Grameen Telecom and found some violations of the labour laws.
Some 101 workers were supposed to be made permanent, but they were not. Moreover, the workers' funds and welfare funds were not constituted.
Moreover, 5% of the company's dividend was supposed to be given to the workers, but it was not given to them. Based on these allegations, a case was filed against the concerned under criminal law.
On 6 June, the labour court ordered the starting of the trial by indicting four people, including Dr Yunus. When the order was challenged in the High Court, the High Court quashed it.
Dr Yunus appealed to the Appellate Division against the HC order, which was also rejected on 20 August.
