TDS Desk:

Nobel laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus and three other top officials of Grameen Telecom were acquitted in the case filed over violation of labour laws.

After the hearing on Wednesday afternoon, Labor Appellate Tribunal Judge MA Awal handed down the verdict.

On January 1, the chairman of the third labour court of Dhaka, Sheikh Marina Sultana gave 6 months imprisonment to the chairman of Grameen Telecom DrYunus and its directors AshrafulHasan, Nurjahan Begum and M Shahjahan in a case fived over labour laws violations. In addition, the court fined Tk 30,000 each, in default, they were sentenced 25 more days in jail. The court also ordered them to comply with the relevant provisions of the Labour Act 2006 within one month.

After the verdict was announced, the court heard the separate bail applications and granted 1-month bail to the 4 persons.

Dr. Yunus appealed against the verdict.

On September 9, 2021, the case was filed in the Third Labour Court of Dhaka by Labour Inspector (General) SM Arifuzzaman of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments.

According to the case documents, IFED officials visited Grameen Telecom’s office in Mirpur, Dhaka on August 16, 2021, and found several violations of labour laws.

On August 19, 2021, a letter was sent to the Grameen Telecom Authority saying that the company was supposed to make 67 employees permanent but it was not done. Besides, the employee participation and welfare fund is yet to be constituted and not even 5 per cent of the company’s dividend, which was supposed to be paid to the workers, has been paid.