Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, also the chairman of Grameen Telecom, and some other officials of the organization have secured bail in two cases after surrendering in two different courts in the city.
Acting Chairman of the Labour Appellate Tribunal in Dhaka, Md. Abdul Awal, on Sunday extended bail to Prof. Yunus and his three colleagues in a case filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), in which they were convicted by a Labour Court in Dhaka and sentenced to six months' imprisonment.
Earlier on January 28 of this year, the Labour Appellate Tribunal admitted their appeal and extended their bail until March 3. As a result, the accused, including Prof. Yunus, surrendered to the Appellate Tribunal on Sunday and sought bail.
Granting bail to them, the Appellate Tribunal fixed April 16, 2024, for further hearing on the case.
Inspector Arifuzzaman of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments filed the case with Dhaka 3rd Labour Court on September 9, 2021, against four people, including Prof. Yunus, on charges of violating the labor law.
Prof. Yunus has also been granted bail in another case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charges of money laundering. Judge Mohammad As-Shams Jaglul Hossain of the Metropolitan Special Judge's Court in Dhaka passed the bail order on Sunday after hearing a bail petition.
Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun and Barrister Khaja Tanvir Ahmed appeared in the court hearing on behalf of Prof. Yunus and other Grameen Telecom officials, while lawyers Khurshid Alam Khan and Mosharraf Hossain Kazal represented the DIFE and ACC, respectively.
Seven other officials of Grameen Telecom were also granted bail in the case, said their lawyer, Barrister Mamun.
On February 1 of this year, the Anti-Corruption Commission submitted a charge sheet against Prof. Yunus and 13 others in the case filed on charges of embezzling and laundering Tk 252.2 million of the Grameen Telecom Workers' Profit Participation Fund.
Investigation Officer Gulshan Anwar Prodhan, also a Deputy Director of the ACC, submitted the charge sheet before Judge Md. Asaduzzaman of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court in Dhaka.
In the case filed by the ACC, Prof. Yunus and seven other accused appeared before the Metropolitan Special Judge's court on Sunday and sought bail.
The 13 other accused are Grameen Telecom Managing Director Nazmul Islam, former Managing Director Ashraful Hassan, Directors Nazneen Sultana, Parveen Mahmud, M. Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, and Professor S. M. Huzzatul Islam Latifee, lawyers Md. Yousuf Ali and Jafrul Hasan Sharif, 'Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Union' President Md. Kamruzzaman, Union's Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hassan, and Union's representative Mainul Islam, and Jatiya Workers Federation's Office Secretary Kamrul Hasan.
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