The government has reiterated that no “veiled threat under the pretext of promoting democracy and human rights” would detract the people of Bangladesh from upholding the rule of law.

"The signatories to the letter would be well advised to counsel Dr. Muhammad Yunus to operate within the bounds of law in lieu of making unjustified insinuations about Bangladesh’s democratic and electoral processes," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.

The allegations of “persecution or harassment” seem to follow a pattern that stems from a victim mentality using human rights and democracy as an expedient cover, said the ministry.

Read: ERDF slams open letter to PM over Yunus case as attempt to interfere with independent judiciary

A group of international personalities, including political leaders, and some Bangladesh nationals have written an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regarding the ongoing judicial proceedings against Dr. Yunus.

The letter is marked by an “obvious gap of information and amounts to an affront to Bangladesh’s independent judicial system,” the foreign ministry said.

It comes as a surprise to the Government of Bangladesh that the signatories to the letter already reached their own conclusion about the merit of the sub-judice cases as well as the outcome of the judicial proceedings, the government said.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh filed one such case under specific provisions of the Bangladesh Penal Code and Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2012.

The case was filed based on investigations concerning allegations of misappropriation of profits due to the workers and employees of Grameen Telecom Ltd, the ministry said.

The ACC investigation team had found that Dr. Muhammad Yunus, chairman of Grameen Telecom Ltd. along with the managing director and other board members, “forged settlement agreement to misappropriate and illicitly transfer Tk. 252 million.”

Read: Open letter to PM over Yunus case is a threat to sovereignty of Bangladesh: say AUB, DUTA

Further, the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments, Dhaka had filed a case under Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006.

The case was filed for multiple breaches, including for not setting up Workers’ Contributory Fund and Welfare Fund as well as for not depositing 5 percent share of net profits to the concerned workers’ welfare funds since 2006.

"Again, in one of the tax evasion cases, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, having lost in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, filed a petition at the Appellate Division, the highest court of the country," the foreign ministry said.

The Appellate Division having found no infirmity and illegality in the order of the High Court Division rejected the petition, resulting in Dr. Yunus’ paying the overdue tax amount to the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

Read: Govt not harassing Prof Yunus; letter writers need to know facts: FM

There are now a few more pending tax evasion cases against him.

In the cases of depriving the workers of their rightful profit, Dr. Muhammad Yunus went to the highest courts on two occasions, one challenging maintainability and another challenging framing of charge by the trial court.

The highest court, on hearing his lawyers, passed judgments affirming that the first case had been properly initiated, and in the other, declared the framing of charge legal, proper and correct.

"It is regrettable that the signatories to the letter requested the Prime Minister to exercise extra-judicial authorities to suspend the sub-judice cases," tye ministry said.

They have also recommended an alternative process of review of the charges against Dr. Muhammad Yunus and his cohorts in a manner that is incompatible with Bangladesh’s established judicial system.

This is not the first time that Dr. Muhammad Yunus and his aides have resorted to international lobbying in the face of legal consequences for their alleged or proven violation of law.

"It had been his decision to file a lawsuit against the government for terminating his contract as Managing Director of Grameen Bank way beyond the age of retirement stipulated in the Grameen Bank Service Rules, 1993," it said.

Read: Int’l dignitaries are welcome to send experts, lawyers to see if Dr Yunus faces injustice: PM Hasina

It is unacceptable for a citizen of a sovereign country to repeatedly seek external interventions presumably based on his perception of being above the law of the land, the ministry said.

"It has now become evident to the people of Bangladesh that having evaded corporate and income taxes and having deprived workers over the years, Dr. Muhammad Yunus — a salaried employee of Grameen Bank — invested large sums of supposedly misappropriated and laundered money in commercial ventures,” the ministry of foreign affairs said.