HC asks govt not to harass Prof Yunus

The High Court yesterday ordered the government not to harass or arrest Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus until November 7 in three cases filed in connection with the sacking of three employees of Grameen Communications.

The HC, however, asked Prof Yunus, chairman of Grameen Communications, to surrender before the trial court at any convenient time by November 7.

The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the order following a writ petition filed by Dr Yunus’sbrother Dr Muhammad Ibrahim. 

The HC gave the order so that Dr Yunus can surrender before the labour court concerned for bail in the cases as a free man on his return from abroad, petitioner’s lawyer Rokanuddin Mahmud told The Daily Star. 

During the hearing of the petition, the lawyer told the HC bench that Prof Yunus would not skip the trial proceedings of the cases. 

He said Prof Yunus was not in the country when the cases were filed, and the summons and arrest warrant were issued against him. Therefore, he was not aware of the case proceedings.

Rokanuddin appealed to the court to pass an order on the authorities concerned so that Dr Yunus can appear before the labour court.

Deputy Attorney General Saifuddin Khaled represented the government.

On October 9, a labour court in Dhaka issued an arrest warrant against Prof Yunus in the three cases.

On July 3, Abdus Salam, Shah Alam and Emranul Haque -- former junior officers of Grameen Communications -- lodged the cases against Dr Yunus and two others with the labour court for sacking them in June for their role in forming a trade union at their workplace.

Two other Grameen Communications officials, who were made accused in the cases, are Managing Director Naznin Sultana and Deputy General Manager Khandaker Abu Abedin.