Dr Muhammad Yunus Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus, also the chairman of Grameen Telecom, and three other top officials of the organisation filed an appeal petition against their six months' jail sentence given by a labour court in Dhaka.
Acting chairman of the Labour Appellate Tribunal in Dhaka Md Abdul Awal admitted their appeal petition and extended their bail until disposal of the appeal.
The chairman of the Appellate Tribunal also asked for all the documents of the verdict announced by the Third Labour Court in Dhaka and fixed March 3, 2024 for further proceedings of the case.
Later Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun, a counsel of Prof Yunus, said The Appellate Tribunal admitted the appeal petition for hearing and fixed March 3 to hold hearing on it. At the same time, the Appellate Tribunal granted them permanent bail in the case.
Earlier on the day Prof Yunus and three other accused appeared in the court and submitted their appeal petitions.
The Third Labour Court in Dhaka on January 1 this year sentenced Prof Yunus and three other top officials of the organisation to six months' imprisonment in a case filed against them on charge of violating the labour law.
Judge of the court Sheikh Merina Sultana delivered the verdict after concluding the trial proceedings of the case, filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE).
The other accused in the case are- Grameen Telecom Managing Director Ashraful Hassan, directors Nurjahan Begum and Md Shahjahan. The court also fined each of the accused Tk 30,000.
The labour court also granted the accused bail on the same day on condition that they have to file appeal within one month.
In the 84-page judgment, the labour court said the accused violated Sections 4, 8, 117 and 234 of the Labour Act, 2006 and the prosecution could prove the charges against the accused beyond any doubt.
Under Section 303(3) of the act, it sentenced all the four accused to six months' imprisonment and fined them Tk 5000, in default of which they have to serve 10 more days in jail. Under Section 307 of the act, it fined each of the accused Tk 25,000, in default to serve 15 days more in jail.
The court also directed the Grameen Telecom authorities to comply with all rights of its employees under the Labuor Act within the next one month.
Inspector of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, Arifuzzaman, filed the case with Dhaka 3rdLabour Court on September 9, 2021 against four people including Prof Yunus.
According to the case documents, a team of DIFE went on an inspection to Grameen Telecom and found the violations of labour laws like not regularising 101 staff members, not establishing a welfare fund for the labourers, among others.
Besides, five percent of the company's dividends was supposed to be paid to the workers' participation fund but it was not paid, also read the case statement.
Barrister Mamun said, "The employees' jobs were not regularised as they were appointed on a contractual basis. Their contract was renewed after every three years. The employees also enjoyed earned leave of 20 days in a calendar year, although the case statement brought an allegation that the employees did not get any earned leave during their job."
The lawyer further said that five percent dividend was not paid as the company is a non-profitable organisation.
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