A Dhaka court has extended the bail of four persons, including the chairman of Grameen Telecom and Nobel laureate economist Dr Muhammad Yunus, in a case filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments for allegedly violating labour laws.
Dhaka Labor Appeal Tribunal Chairman (Acting) MA Awal (Senior District and Sessions Judge) extended the bail on Sunday (3 March).
Abdullah Al Mamun, Dr Yunus' lawyer, told media, "Today the court granted bail to four people, including Nobel laureate economist Dr Muhammad Yunus. The court fixed 16 April for the next hearing in this case."
Before this Dr Muhammad Yunus appeared before the Labour Appellate Tribunal and applied for bail.
After the hearing, the court granted him bail.
Earlier, on 28 January, the Labour Appeal Tribunal accepted the appeal of four people including Dr Yunus.
The Third Labor Court of Dhaka sentenced four people including Dr Yunus to six months imprisonment in the case.
At the same time each was fined Tk30,000.
The other three sentenced are Grameen Telecom's former managing director (MD) Ashraful Hasan, directors Noor Jahan Begum and Md Shahjahan.
The Third Labor Court of Dhaka granted one month interim bail to four people including Dr Yunus on the condition of appealing to the High Court after the verdict was announced.
On 1 September 2021, the case was filed in the Labour Tribunal against four persons including Yunus.
The complaint was framed in the case on 6 June last year.
Recording testimony began on 22 August last year and ended on 9 November. Arguments ended on 24 December.
It was alleged in the case that according to the Labour Act 2006 and Labour Rules 2015, the employment of the workers or employees of Grameen Telecom was not made permanent even after completing the probation period.
Annual leave, encashment of leave and cash against leave was not given to workers or employees working in the organisation, it added.
Worker participation fund and welfare fund have not been constituted in Grameen Telecom.
An amount equivalent to 5% of the dividend has not been deposited in the fund constituted under the Workers' Welfare Foundation Act, the case further said.