Verdict against Yunus is stage-managed: Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus has been sentenced to six months in prison through a stage-managed verdict recommended by the Ganabhaban.

Protesting the verdict during a virtual conference on Monday, Rizvi said, "The continuous criticism and threats against Dr Yunus by Sheikh Hasina prove that the verdict has been given out of revenge."

"It has been clear that a conspiracy was hatched against Dr Yunus ever since Sheikh Hasina threatened to kill Khaleda Zia and Nobel laureate by dropping them into water off the Padma Bridge during a rally on 18 May 2022," added Rizvi.

He further added, "The Awami League masterminds responsible for crores of taka, bank looting, and loan defaulting are walking free, but individuals like Dr Yunus, who are a pride of the nation, are sentenced in stage-managed verdicts."

Verdict against Dr Yunus is politically motivated: Reza Kibria

Dr Reza Kibria, convener of Gono Odhikar Parishad, has protested the verdict against Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus.

In a written statement today, he said, "I believe the verdict has been delivered to serve a political purpose. The public is discontented with the judgment against such a respected individual."

"We have previously stated that the case against Dr. Yunus was filed in the Labor Court solely to harass him out of revenge. World leaders have also voiced their protest against the lawsuit. Despite all the resistance, the sentence against Dr Yunus indicates that no court in Bangladesh is capable of maintaining impartiality. Simultaneously, this judgment sends a misleading message about the country in the international arena," he added.

Reza Kibria calls on everyone to protest against this "arbitrary and unfair verdict."