Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday (January 30, 2024) said what appeared on Washington Post regarding Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus was an advertisement, not a statement.  “Washington Post published it as an advertisement. That is an advertisement, not news. Clearly, it was done by a lobbyist firm,” he told reporters while responding to a question.  The Foreign Minister said the lobbyist firm also did the same in the past.  Read: Festivals like DIFF enhance country’s image globally: Dr Hasan Mahmud  He said Bangladesh’s judiciary is transparent and the government is not a party to Yunus’ case. Dr Hasan said the aggrieved people of Yunus’ organization filed the case and the trial is underway in a very transparent way. Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus on Sunday claimed that it was the government, not the workers of his company, who filed the labor law violation case against him. When his attention was drawn to the claim, the Foreign Minister on Monday said, “With due respect to him, I would like to say that what he said is not correct.” The minister said that the aggrieved workers of Yunus’ company filed the case as they were deprived of what they deserve. Read: Sheikh Hasina’s leadership is needed for a developed Bangladesh: Dr Hasan Mahmud More than 241 global leaders, including more than 125 Nobel laureates, expressed their concern over the “continuous judicial harassment and potential jailing” of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus in a third open letter to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On January 1, 2024, Professor Yunus and three Grameen Telecom colleagues were convicted of labor law violations, sentenced to six months in jail, and given bail while appeals are considered. 

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (March 13, 2023) questioned as to why an advertisement needs to be published in a foreign newspaper with names of 40 people pleading in favour of Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Muhammad Yunus. “I don’t know what to answer. But I have a question. Why should an advertisement be given begging names of 40 people for a person who is so famous and a Nobel Prize recipient? That again is in a foreign newspaper,” she said. The prime minister made the remarks while answering a question from UNB Editor Farid Hossain at a press conference on the outcome of her recent official visit to Qatar. She also said 40 people did not issue any statement for Dr Yunus, but it was an advertisement. “The names of 40 people were used there (in advertisement) in favour of our particular person.” Read more: Pressures on Sheikh Hasina won’t work: PM The prime minister said there are laws in the country and everything goes according to those laws, no matter who the person is. “Our judiciary is completely independent. We protect workers' rights. There is a separate body to oversee who pays taxes properly and collects taxes. We have a labour court to deal with if someone breaks any law regarding the matters or snatches the rights of the workers,” she said. As the head of the government, Sheikh Hasina said she has nothing to do regarding these matters. “What more can I say? But I just want to remind everyone that we have built the Padma Bridge,” she said.  Read More: Sufficient commodities in stock, refrain from panic buying during Ramadan: Govt