The United States has said it is closely monitoring the developments in the case against Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. “We will continue to encourage the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for Dr. Yunus as the appeals process continues,” said Mathew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, during a regular briefing on June 4. Miller expressed concerns that these cases might represent a “misuse” of Bangladesh’s labor laws to “harass and intimidate” Dr. Yunus. Court sets June 12 for decision on whether Yunus to go on trial in embezzlement case “We also worry that the perceived misuse of labor and anti-corruption laws could raise questions about the rule of law and dissuade foreign direct investment,” he added. The government of Bangladesh has maintained that it is not a party to the case involving Dr. Muhammad Yunus and emphasized the independence and transparency of its judicial process. “With due respect to Dr. Yunus, I would like to say that the judicial process of Bangladesh is transparent. That's why many members of the ruling party face trials and even jail sentences,” Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told journalists recently. Dr Yunus suffering for deceiving 1.05 cr Grameen Bank members, says the bank’s Chief Legal Advisor

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. 

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday (January 25, 2024) said any statement “backed by lobbyists” on Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus would have no adverse impact on foreign investment inflow into the country. “Look, there are several lobbyist firms engaged behind some people who are talking on the Dr Yunus issue. Investment will not be impacted if a statement is backed by lobbyists,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Minister said Dr Yunus has been in the discussion over the last 12 years and Bangladesh still received significant foreign investment. Read: China is an important dev and strategic partner of Bangladesh: PM Hasina “Foreign investment is increasing. There is no relation with that. This is simply a legal matter,” said the Awami League joint general secretary. He reiterated that Dr Yunus has been sentenced in a case filed by the aggrieved people, and the government is not a party to it. “With due respect to Dr Yunus, I would like to say that aggrieved people filed the case. The government is not a party to it. It is a decision taken by the court. The government cannot interfere in it,” he said. Earlier, a Dhaka court sentenced Dr 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. Read: Russian Ambassador hopes Dhaka-Moscow relations will continue to thrive The others accused in the case are: Ashraful Hasan, CEO of Grameen Telecom Trust; trustee Nurjahan Begum; and managing director M Shahjahan. They were accused of not making some workers and employees of Grameen Telecom permanent, not encashing public leave, and not depositing certain dividends to the Workers Welfare Foundation. In the 84-page verdict, the judge said the charges of violating labor laws were proved against them. The court, however, granted them conditional bail. Dr Yunus claimed that he had been punished for a crime he did not commit. “I have been punished for a crime that I haven’t committed,” Yunus told reporters after he was convicted in a case over violation of labor law. “If you want to call it justice, you can.” Read more: Dr Yunus appointed chair of Moscow Financial University’s international advisory board

The United States has said it wants to see a fair and transparent legal process regarding the case against Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus. "For our part, we have encouraged the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a regular media briefing at Washington on January 3. The US State Department spokesperson said Yunus has made significant contributions to the alleviation of poverty around the world, as reflected in his Nobel Peace Prize and numerous other international honors. Dr Yunus describes verdict as 'contrary to all legal precedent and logic' He said they have been following the case against him closely. "We’ve seen, of course, the widespread international criticism of the verdict," Miller said. He said they will continue to follow any further developments closely. On Monday, Labour Court No.3 of Dhaka, sentenced the microfinance pioneer and three top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months’ jail in a case over violations of the labor law. Verdict against Dr Yunus an outcome of AL govt’s political vengeance: Ganatantra Mancha In a statement published by Yunus Centre, Yunus said, “As my lawyers have convincingly argued in court, this verdict against me is contrary to all legal precedent and logic.” He pledged to serve the countrymen and the social business movement to the best of his ability. “I call for the Bangladeshi people to speak in one voice against injustice and in favor of democracy and human rights for each and every one of our citizens,” said the 83-year-old. Yunus, along with three Grameen Telecom officials, managed to avoid prison, as they were granted bail. Responding to a question on January 7 polls, US Spokesperson Miller again said they support a free and fair election in Bangladesh. "We have made that quite clear a number of times. We will watch the elections very closely," he said. But of course, the US State Department spokesperson added, he would never speculate in advance about what actions they may or may not take in response to any development. Dr Yunus was sentenced by court, AL not responsible for it: Quader