The High Court has stayed for six months the trial proceedings of a case filed against Grameen Telecom Chairman Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus on charge of violating labour law.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan passed the order on Sunday after hearing a petition filed by Dr Yunus in this regard.
The court also issued a rule upon the concerned bodies of the government to explain as to why they should not be directed to scrap the trial proceedings of the case filed against Dr Muhammad Yunus on charge of violating labour law.
Assistant Attorney General Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman Likhon who appeared in the hearing on behalf of the state said, “Dr Muhammad Yunus filed a petition with the High Court on December 7 this year challenging the legality of the case filed against him by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) on charge of violating labour law. After hearing the petition, the court stayed the trial proceedings for six months and issued a rule in this regard.”
According to the case statement, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments filed the case against four people including Dr Muhammad Yunus for allegedly violating labour law.
DIFE inspector Arifuzzaman filed the case with Dhaka 3rd Labour Court on 9 September in 2021.
The other accused in the case are- Grameen Telecom managing director Ashraful Hassan, directors Nurjahan Begum and Md Shahjahan.
The court has issued summons to the four to appear before it by 12 October.
According to the case documents, a team of DIFE went on an inspection to Grameen Telecom and found the violations of labour laws like not regularizing 101 staff, not establishing a welfare fund for the labourers, among others.
The three other accused in the case also filed a separate petition with the High Court to stop the trial proceedings against them. Upon hearing the same High Court bench passed same order only for Grameen Telecom director Nurjahan Begum, said Assistant Attorney General Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman Likhon.
