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Dhaka, January 28 (IANS): Bangladesh’s Labour Appellate Tribunal has granted bail to Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, chairman of Grameen Telecom, along with three other top officials of the company in labour law violation case.
Earlier, Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) panel lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan had requested various stakeholders including former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to monitor the ongoing trial against Yunus before criticising the Bangladesh government.
"She (Hillary Clinton) will gain a better understanding after visiting the labour court. Criticising us without witnessing the proceedings is unjust," Khan had said.
The alleged labour law violations by Yunus included failing to give permanent jobs to 101 workers and employees, not forming a workers' participation fund and welfare fund, and failing to provide 5 per cent of the company's dividend to workers.
The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment had said that several labour laws have been violated by Yunus when they raided the Grameen Telecom company last year.
On January 1, a Dhaka court sentenced Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Telecom CEO Md Ashraful Hassan, Managing Director M Shahjahan and Trustee Nurjahan Begum to six months in jail over labour law violations.
On September 9, 2021, a case was filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment against Yunus and three others for violating labour laws.
Sheikh Marina Sultana, judge at Dhaka Labour Court-3 had announced the verdict.
Yunus was facing more than 100 other charges over labour law violations and alleged graft.
The court has also imposed a fine of 5,000 Taka under one section and 25,000 Taka under another section against Yunus, in default of which they would have to spend an additional 10 and 15 days in prison.
The labour court gave them one month to file an appeal in the High Court to challenge the judgement.
They filed an appeal against a Dhaka court verdict with the tribunal after appearing there at around 10:45 am. The officials also filed the bail petitions on Sunday morning.
