Stay on Yunus conviction: HC verdict on March 18

The High Court will deliver its verdict on March 18 on a rule that questioned legality of the Labour Appellate Tribunal's order which stayed conviction and sentences of Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and three other top officials of Grameen Telecom in a labour law violation case.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ebadoth Hossain today set the date for pronouncing the judgement after concluding hearing on the rule.

Following a revision petition filed by Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, the HC bench on February 5 issued the rule asking the state to explain why the Labour Appellate Tribunal's stay order should not be scrapped. Also, the HC halted the stay order till disposal of the rule.

On that day, the HC said as the four accused -- Prof Yunus, chairman of Grameen Telecom, and its directors Ashraful Hassan, Nurjahan Begum, and M Shahjahan -- are on bail, their sentences will remain suspended until their appeals are disposed of.

At the same time, the court issued the rule questioning the legality of the Tribunal's order that stayed the conviction and sentences of Yunus and three others.

On January 28, the Labour Appellate Tribunal granted bail Yunus and three others in the case following separate appeals filed by them. It also stayed till March 3 the lower court's verdict that on January 1 convicted and sentenced each of them to six months' jail.

On March 3, the Labour Appellate Tribunal extended the bail of the four and set April 16 as the next date of hearing on their appeals.