Dr Yunus indicted over labour law violation case

Nobel laureate professor Muhammad YunusFile photo

A labour court in Dhaka on Monday framed charges against four people, including Grameen Telecom chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, in a case lodged over violation of labour laws.

Judge Begum Sheikh Merina Sultana of Dhaka 3rd labour court passed the order.

The other three accused in the case are - Grameen Telecom managing director Ashraful Hasan, board directors Nurjahan Begum and Md Shahjahan.

Supreme Court lawyers Abdullah Al Mamun and Khwaja Tanvir Ahmed took part in the hearing for Dr Muhammad Yunus.

"The three charges pressed against Grameen Telecom are - not regularizing staff, not granting them earned leave and not giving the labourers the share of five percent of net profit," lawyer Abdullah Al Mamun told newsmen.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on 8 May scrapped a leave to appeal petition filed by Dr Muhammad Yunus, challenging a High Court order that cleared way for labour court proceedings against him.

Earlier on 17 August 2022, the High Court discharged a rule that stayed proceedings of a case against Dr Muhammad Yunus and three others for allegedly violating labour laws.

A High Court division bench comprising justice S M Kuddus Zaman and justice Fahmida Quader passed the order, after holding a hearing on the rule issued on 12 December 2021.

Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Inspector Arifuzzaman filed the case against Dr Yunus and three others on 9 September 2021, and the court had summoned the four to appear before it by 12 October 2021.

According to the case documents, a team of the DIFE went on an inspection to the Grameen Telecom and found the violations of labour laws like not regularizing 101 staff, not establishing a welfare fund for the labourers, among others.