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Case against Prof Yunus for violation of labour law

SC stays trial proceedings


Published : 13 Jun 2022 10:13 PM | Updated : 14 Jun 2022 02:22 PM

The Supreme Court has stayed for two months the trial proceedings of a case filed against Nobel Laureate and Chairman of Grameen Telecom Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus on charge of violating labour law.

A three-member full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Justice Md Nuruzzaman, issued the stay order on Monday (June 13) following a petition filed by the state side challenging an order of the High Court (HC).

The apex court also asked the HC to hear and dispose of the rule in two months. The rule was issued on December 12 last year over scrapping the case proceedings.

The Appellate Division bench ordered the HC bench of Justice SM Kuddus Zaman to dispose of the rule seeking explanation as to why the case against Dr Yunus should not be cancelled.

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin appeared for the state during hearing of the petition.

On December 12 last year, the High Court stayed for six months the proceedings of the case against Prof Yunus and also issued a rule asking the state to explain why the case proceedings should not be scrapped.

On that day, the HC bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Prof Yunus challenging legality of the filing and initiation of the case against him.

The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments filed the case against Prof Yunus. On September 9 last year, Labour Inspector Arifuzzaman of the department filed the case with the third labour court of Dhaka.

Other accused in the case are Managing Director of Grameen Telecom Ashraful Hasan and its director Nurzahan Begum and Shahjahan.

According to the case, in an inspection visit to Grameen Telecom inspectors of the department found that a total of 101 workers were supposed to be permanent were not made so. No participation fund and welfare fund were formed for the workers and five per cent of the company’s profit was not provided to the workers following the law.

Upon the complaint, the criminal case was filed under Section 4,7,8, 117, 234 of the Labour Act.

On October 12, the labour court granted bail to all the four accused.

Later on December 7, Prof Yunus filed a petition with the High Court seeking cancellation of the case.

On December 12, the High Court on Sunday stayed for six months the procedure of a case filed against Prof Muhammad Yunus over violation of labour law.

The court also issued a rule asking the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments why the case will not be set aside. The court asked secretaries of the ministry of law, ministry of labour and employment and others involved to respond to the rule.

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