Nobel laureate Yunus gets bail

A Labour Court in Dhaka has granted bail to Grameen Telecom Chairman Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three others in connection with a case filed for violation of the labour law.

The three others are Grameen Telecom Managing Director Ashraful Hasan, and its two directors Nur Jahan Begum and Mohammad Shahjahan.

Dhaka Labour Court 3 Chairman Rahibul Islam granted the bails, after they surrendered before it on Tuesday.

SM Arifuzzaman, a labour inspector (General) of the Inspection for Factories and Establishments Department, filed the case with the Third Labour Court of Dhaka on September 9 this year.

Accepting the case, Judge Sheikh Merina Sultana asked Prof Yunus, Ashraful, Nur Jahan and Shahjahan to appear before the court on October 12.

In the case statement, the labour inspector said he inspected the office of the Grameen Telecom in capital’s Mirpur area on August 16 and found some violations of labour laws.

On August 19, he sent a letter to the authorities of the Grameen Telecom, mentioning that its 67 employees were supposed to be made permanent but denied.

The employee’s participation fund and welfare fund are yet to be formed while 5 percent of the company’s dividend was supposed to be paid to the workers but it was not done, said the case statement.