The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today (May 8) cleared the way for trial of Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three employees of his Grameen Telecom Company in a labour law violation case in the lower court.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Justice Md Nuruzzaman dismissed two appeal petitions filed by Yunus, also the chairman of the Grameen Telecom and the company’s director Nurjahan Begum against a High Court’s verdict.

Lawyer Abdullah Al Mamun stood for the petitioners while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan attended the hearing on behalf of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE). 

Meanwhile, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state.

On 9 September 2021, DIFE Labour Inspector Arifuzzaman filed the case with Dhaka 3rd Labour Court. Other accused in the case are- Ashraful Hasan, Managing Director of Grameen Telecom, its directors Nurzahan Begum and Shahjahan.

According to the case documents, a team of DIFE conducted an inspection at Grameen Telecom and found violations of the labour laws like not regularising 101 staff and not establishing a welfare fund for the labourers.

On 12 October the labour court granted bail to all four accused. Later on 7 December Professor Yunus filed a petition with the High Court (HC) seeking scrapping of the case.

On 12 December HC stayed the procedure of a case for six months. On 17 August last year, the HC rejected a petition to scrap the case. 

Later on, Prof Yunus filed a leave to appeal against the HC verdict.

BDST: 1325 HRS, MAY 08, 2023
SMS