Dr Yunus, three others secure bail

The Labour Appellate Tribunal has accepted the appeal petitions of Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three other Grameen Telecom officials against the verdict of a case filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.

On 1 January, a court sentenced them to six months in jail each for violating the labour law but granted immediate bail, on condition of appealing against the verdict within a month.

As per the condition, they filed petitions on Sunday, challenging the verdict. MA Awal, acting chairman of the Labour Appellate Tribunal, accepted their petitions and also granted permanent bail for them.

While speaking to Prothom Alo, Abdullah Al Mamun, lawyer of Dr Yunus, said the tribunal accepted their appeal for hearing and scheduled it for 3 March. At the same time, it granted permanent bail for the four individuals until completion of the hearing.

Earlier, Dr Yunus and other Grameen Telecom officials appeared at the tribunal at 10:45 am on Sunday and filed the petitions along with bail pleas.

The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) filed the case against Dr Muhammad Yunus, former Managing Director of Grameen Telecom Ashraful Hasan, and Directors Nur Jahan and Md Shahjahan on 9 September in 2021 alleging that they violated the labour law.

The case statement said that as per the Labour Law, 2006, and Bangladesh Labour Rules, 2015, the appointment of Grameen Telecom workers and employees was not made permanent despite their apprentice period being over.

The organisation does not grant annual leave with payment to the employees or workers, lump grants for leave and no payment in cash against leave, it added.

The court on 6 June in 2023 framed charges against Dr Yunus and three others in the case.

Dr Muhammad Yunus and others filed a petition with the Appellate Division seeking to scrap the trial proceeding in the case.

The Appellate Division, however, rejected the petition on 20 August last.