Contempt rule: Dr Yunus exempted from personal appearance  

The High Court has exempted Noble Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, chairman of Grameen Telecom, from personal appearance in court in connection with a contempt rule over reinstating 38 employees of the company.

Ashraful Hasan, managing director of the company, has also been given exemption from the personal appearance.

At Tuesday's hearing, the High Court bench of Justice Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Kamrul Hossain Mollah fixed 22 April for the next hearing.

Around 11.00am, Dr Yunus and Ashraful virtually appeared before the court.

Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud, who represented Dr Yunus at the hearing, said, "We have implemented the court order. The 38 employees of Grameen Telecom are receiving their salaries."

However, Md Yousuf Ali, a counsel for the petitioners, said that is not true.

At this point, Dr Yunus and Ashraful said if any order of the court has not been implemented that is unintentional and both of them offered unconditional apology.

Previously, on 18 February, the HC summoned the duo to virtually appear before the bench on 16 March to explain their non-complying with its order to reinstate 38 employees in Grameen Telecom.

At the same time, the court issued a rule as to why disciplinary action would not be taken against them for not implementing the court order.

6 December, the court ordered reinstatement of the petitioners.

Prof Muhammad Yunus and Mohammad Ashraful Hasan did not implement the order as the authorities of the organisation.  

The HC passed the order and rule following a contempt of court petition filed by Md Kamruzzaman, one of the terminated employees of Grameen Telecom and president of its workers union.

Advocate Yusuf Ali said Dr Yunus laid off 99 workers in a notice without consulting with Workers and Employees Union. They were laid off through a notice signed by Ashraful Hasan. An appeal was then filed with the HC against the notice.