Yunus verdict won’t affect relations with US: Foreign Secretary

The prison sentence of Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus will not affect relations between Bangladesh and the US, said Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Monday.

He said this while talking to newspersons at his office at the ministry.

Earlier in the day, a Dhaka court sentenced Dr Muhammad Yunus and three others each to six months imprisonment for violating the labour law. The court also fined them each Tk 25,000.

When the foreign secretary was asked about the verdict in the afternoon, Masud Bin Momen said, “It is normal that relations of a state with another state won’t be affected because of an individual. This has happened through legal procedure. He also has a scope to appeal against the verdict. A legal process has been going on over this. That’s why I don’t want to comment on this issue anymore.”

The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) on 9 September in 2021 filed the case against Dr Yunus and the three others alleging that they violated the labour law. The court on 6 June last year framed charges against Yunus and three others in the case.

According to the case statement, recruitment of workers and employees were not made permanent at Grameen Telecom in accordance with the Labour Law, 2006 and the Labour Rules, 2015 after their apprenticeship ends. Workers and employees who are employed were not given annual leave with pay, leave encashment and cash against leave.

Workers Profit Participation Fund (WPPF) and Welfare Fund were not formed, as well as a 5 per cent of the organisation’s profit is not deposited to the fund formed in accordance with the Workers Welfare Foundation Act, the case statement added.

Responding to the allegations, the four defendants including Dr Yunus told the court in a written statement on 9 November that officers and employees of Grameen Telecom are appointed on contract as per the organisation’s policy because the business of Grameen Telecom is operated on contract.

However, all officials and employees of Grameen Telecom enjoy provident fund, gratuity, earned leave and retirement leave like permanent employees. The allegation brought in this case regarding not making recruitment of employees permanent is a matter of administration and civil case.

Grameen Telecom is a non-profit organisation under section 28 of the Company Act, and its profit is not for distribution and it is used for social development, the written statement added.

Following the pronouncement of the verdict, Dr Muhammad Yunus filed for bail in the same court today. Later, the court granted one month’s interim bail on condition of appealing against the verdict within the time.