The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) has filed an application with the High Court for expeditious hearing on a rule issued by it over scrapping the trial proceedings of a case filed against Nobel laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus on charge of violating labour law.
The application has been filed with the High Court bench of Justice S M Kuddus Zaman and Justice K M Zahid Sarwar and it may come in the cause-list of the bench on Thursday (July 21), said Khurshid Alam Khan, a counsel for the DIFE.
Earlier on June 13 this year, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed for two months the trial proceedings of the case filed against Grameen Telecom chairman Prof Muhammad Yunus and three others on charge of violating labour law.
The apex court also asked the High Court to hear and dispose of the rule issued in this regard within two months.
Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said, “The Appellate Division had asked the High Court to hear and dispose of the rule issued in this regard within two months. Complying with the apex court order we have filed the application.”
Following two criminal petitions the High Court on December 12 in 2021 stayed for six months the trial proceedings of the case regarding Grameen Telecom chairman Prof Muhammad Yunus and director Nurjahan Begum.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan 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 them on charge of violating labour law.
Later the state filed two leave to appeal petitions against the High Court order that stayed for six months the trial proceedings of the case and issued a rule. After hearing the petitions, the apex court on June 13 passed its order.
DIFE inspector Arifuzzaman filed the case with Dhaka 3rd Labour Court on 9 September in 2021 against four people including Prof Muhamamd Yunus for allegedly violating labour law, said Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun who appeared in the Appellate Division hearing on behalf of Prof Muhammad Yunus.
The other accused in the case are- Grameen Telecom managing director Ashraful Hassan, directors Nurjahan Begum and Md Shahjahan.
After hearing the case, the court had also issued summons to the four to appear before it on October 12 in 2021. Later a labour court in Dhaka on October 12 last year granted bail to Dr Yunus in the case.
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.
Later all the four accused in the case filed separate petitions with the High Court to stop the trial proceedings against them. Upon hearing the same, High Court bench passed same order only for Professor Muhammad Yunus and Nurjahan Begum.
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