In a recent development, a Dhaka court has sentenced Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chairman of Grameen Telecom, along with three other officials, to six months in jail for violating labor laws.
The other individuals convicted in the case include Grameen Telecom Managing Director Ashraful Hasan, and Board Directors Nurjahan Begum and Md Shahjahan. The verdict, delivered by Judge Sheikh Merina Sultana of Dhaka’s 3rd Labour Court, also imposed a fine of Tk 5,000 on each of them, with a directive to pay outstanding dues to all Grameen Telecom workers within 30 days.
Following the pronouncement of the verdict, Dr. Yunus and the three officials promptly filed separate bail petitions, which were subsequently granted by the judge. The case, filed by Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Inspector Arifuzzaman on September 9, 2021, alleged violations such as the failure to regularize 101 staff and the absence of a welfare fund for laborers during an inspection of Grameen Telecom.
