The Congress of Bangladeshi Americans have encouraged US senators not to take the side of Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and instead support employees “deprived of their legal and financial rights.”
Referring to a letter the senators wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, they urged the US senators to research the subject and respect the office of the Prime Minister.
Dr. Yunus has been charged with violating labor laws, not providing a 5% dividend to Grameen Telecom workers, not regularizing 101 staff members, and not compensating workers for public holidays, the letter reads.
Dr. Yunus has refuted the charges as “politically motivated.”
The government of Bangladesh has invited international experts and lawyers to assess the legal proceedings and examine documents involving the charges against Yunus.
The Bangladeshi Americans emphasized that Dr. Yunus’ identity as an internationally acclaimed Nobel laureate should not exempt him from the labor law violation case, nor should his relationship with influential Western leaders and his “appointed lobbying companies” influence the merit of the court verdict.
“We hope our leaders and lawmakers will refrain from using their private relationships to hinder the amicable relationship between two friendly nations,” said the Bangladeshi Americans.
”Our national interest should be the determining factor in forging solid and good relations with our geo-strategic partners in South Asia and worldwide,” they said.
Bangladesh has played a vital and strategic role in bringing peace, prosperity, and a strong partnership in the war against terrorism to that region and in curbing transnational militants as a reliable US partner for over fifty years, they mentioned.
“We request that you and the other Senators verify the facts of the allegations brought against Dr. Yunus by his employees, not the government of Bangladesh. If necessary, we urge you to send international experts and lawyers to Bangladesh to assess the legal proceedings and examine documents involving the charges against Yunus,” said the Bangladeshi Americans.
They also encouraged the senators to withdraw their names from the letter, which they consider “defamatory and based on unsubstantiated facts.”
The Bangladeshi Americans expressed their disappointment with the letter they (12 senators) signed and addressed to Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 22, 2024.
The letter concerns the case of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi citizen facing charges brought against him by employees of his business firm who claim that he violated their employment rights under the country's labor laws.
“However, the letter shows a need for more respect for the office of the Prime
Minister of an independent nation, as it addresses her with no greetings but a baseless accusation that goes against the minimum etiquette of addressing a head of sovereign government,” said the Bangladeshi Americans.
The letter also displays a need for more understanding of the ongoing judicial case in a foreign land, as it appears to be influenced by rage rather than logic, they observed.
“We are concerned that our nation's lawmakers are attempting to intervene in a civil court matter and are not respecting the court of law but soliciting external influence to crush the court verdict,” they wrote.
The Bangladeshi Americans are who signed the statement include Mahammad Ali Siddique, Chairman, Congress of Bangladeshi Americans Inc;
Shamim Chowdhury, Chief Advisor, Congress of Bangladeshi Americans Inc;
Md. Monzur Chowdhury, Secretary General, Congress of Bangladeshi Americans Inc;
Dr. Pradip Ranjan Kar, Advisor, Congress of Bangladeshi Americans Inc; Shah Md. Boktiar, Director, Congress of Bangladeshi Americans Inc; Shahidul Islam, Director, Congress of Bangladeshi Americans Inc; and Mohammad Zahidul Islam, Director, Congress of Bangladeshi Americans Inc.
Other signatories are: Dr. Dilip Nath, Morshed Alam, Dr. Masudul Hassan, Dr. Dhananjoy Shaha, Dr. Md. Siddique, Engr. Farasath Ali, Md. Sakhawat Ali, Syed Mohammed Ullah, Belal Beg, Dr. Robi Alam, Dr. Mohsin Ali, Dr. Nuran Nobi, Dr. Khandaker Monsur, Khalid Hasan, Dr. Mohammad Ali Manik, Dr. Syed Abu Hasnat, Iqbal Yusuf, Muhammad Hanif, Refayet Chowdhury, Abdur Rahim Badsha, Kazi Kayes Ahmed, Md. Farid Alam, Misbah Ahmed, Kaikobad Khan, Jahanara Hasan, Kazi Monir Hossain, Shahana Hanif, and Md. Yusuf Chowdhury.