Nobel Winner Economist Muhammad Yunus: Bangladesh’s Nobel Prize-winning economist Dr. Muhammad Yunus was sentenced to 6 months in jail by a court on Monday (December 1) for violating labor laws. Yunus’ supporters have termed this incident before the general elections to be held on January 7 as ‘politically motivated’.
Labor court judge Sheikh Marina Sultana, while delivering the verdict, said that the charge of violating the labor law against him has been proven.
The judge ruled that Yunus would have to serve 6 months of simple imprisonment for violating the law as the chairman of Grameen Telecom along with three other executives of a business company. 83-year-old Yunus was present in the court when the verdict was announced.
The judge also imposed a fine of Tk 25,000 on each of them and said that failing which they would have to spend 10 more days in jail. ‘Bangladeshi Taka’ is the currency of Bangladesh.
Can appeal against the decision in the High Court
Soon after the verdict, Yunus and three others applied for bail. The judge granted him one month’s bail against a bond of 5,000 taka. Under the law, Yunus and three others can appeal the verdict in the High Court.
Terming the decision, which came just before the general elections, as ‘politically motivated’, his supporters said the charges were filed to harass him.
Yunus rejected claims of taking advantage of commercial companies
Last month, after appearing in court for the hearing, Yunus rejected claims of benefiting from Grameen Telecom or any of the more than 50 commercial companies set up in Bangladesh.
Grameen Telecom holds a 34 percent stake in Grameenphone, Bangladesh’s largest mobile phone company. The Nobel laureate is also facing several charges related to labor law and misuse of funds.
Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his anti-poverty campaign through Grameen Bank.
Yunus was tried in August 2022
His dispute with the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina continues due to unknown reasons. After Hasina came to power in 2008, authorities started investigating Yunus in several cases. In August 2023, 18 former employees of Grameen Telecom filed a case against Yunus, accusing him of usurping their job benefits. Yunus was prosecuted in August 2022 on charges of violating labor laws.