A Dhaka court has sentenced Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months’ jail, with fine of Tk 25000 each, in a case over violation of labor law.

Dhaka 3rd Labor Court Judge Sheikh Merina Sultana pronounced the judgment.

Dr Yunus reached the court around 2:45 pm.

Prof Yunus presides over convocation of Social Business University in Malaysia

The court set January 1 to pronounce the verdict in the case after hearing the arguments of both the prosecution and the defence on December 24, 2023.

On June 6, 2023, Dhaka Labor Court-3 framed charges against the four accused.

The others accused in the case are: Ashraful Hasan, CEO of Grameen Telecom Trust; trustee Nurjahan Begum; and managing director M Shahjahan.

Dr Yunus and the three others filed a petition challenging the legality of the charge framing and seeking a stay order on trial proceedings in the case.

The High Court on July 23 last year issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the indictment order against the four should not be scrapped.

Prof Yunus receives World Football Summit Award

On August 3, the Appellate Division directed the High Court to dispose of the rule questioning the charge framing against Dr Yunus and others by the lower court in the case.

On September 9, 2021, Labour Inspector Arifuzzaman, of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, filed the case with Dhaka’s 3rd Labor Court.

According to the case, during an inspection visit to Grameen Telecom, inspectors of the department found that 101 workers and staff members who were supposed to be permanent were not made so.

No participation fund and welfare fund was formed for them and five percent 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 Labor Act.

Creation of Palestine state urgent; US key actor in bringing this to reality: Dr Yunus