Staff Correspondent:

The bail of four persons, including Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has been extended till August 14 in the case filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) for violating labour laws.

Apart from Dr. Yunus, those who got bail are – Grameen Telecom’s former managing director (MD) Ashraful Hasan, director Nurjahan Begum and Md. Shah Jahan

Dhaka Labour Appellate Tribunal Chairman (Acting) MA Awal (Senior District and Sessions Judge) passed the order on Thursday (July 4).

Dr. Yunus’s lawyer Khawaja Tanveer Ahmed informed this.

He said that the court has fixed August 14 for the next hearing in this case.

Earlier, on April 16, Labour Appellate Tribunal granted bail to Dr. Yunus till May 23 for violating labour laws. On May 23, Dr. Yunus’ bail was extended till July 4.

On January 1, Dhaka Third Labour Court sentenced four people, including Grameen Telecom chairman Dr. Muhammad Yunus, to six months imprisonment in default in the case filed by DIFE for violating labour laws. Besides, each was fined Tk 30,000.

Four people including Dr. Yunus filed an appeal against the verdict on January 28. The Labour Appellate Tribunal accepted this appeal for hearing on that day. Later, the tribunal granted bail to the four after adjourning the verdict of the Third Labour Court till March 3.

In this situation, the plaintiff in the case, the labour inspector of the DIFE, filed a petition (criminal revision) in the High Court on February 4 regarding the validity of part of the order of the Labour Appellate Tribunal suspending the verdict and order of the Third Labour Court.

On the preliminary hearing of this petition, on February 5, the High Court (HC) gave an order along with the rule. After the hearing on the rule, the court declared the rule “absolute (proper)” on March 18, considering several aspects and gave a verdict. The copy of this verdict was published yesterday, Wednesday (July 3).

The full verdict said that the conviction against the four persons (four officers including Dr. Yunus) “will remain in effect” until the appeal is disposed of. There is no provision for ‍suspending the verdict. This conviction can only be quashed, upheld and modified by the disposal of the appeal.

The verdict states that four persons got bail from the Labour Appellate Tribunal. There being no need to suspend their sentences, their sentencing orders are automatically and imposed post-bail. So as long as they are on bail, the sentence will be postponed.

The penalty awarded by the Labour Court shall remain in abeyance pending disposal of the appeal. The Chairman of the Labour Appellate Tribunal will dispose of the appeal (made by four officers including Dr. Yunus) as soon as possible. They (four officials including Yunus) were directed to report to the Labour Appellate Tribunal if they need to go abroad.