Stop biased use of law to harass Prof Yunus: 14 eminent citizens

Fourteen eminent citizens today urged the authorities to stop "motivated and biased use of law" to harass Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus.

"While law should follow its own course, we, as citizens, call upon all concerned to follow the due process in an objective, transparent and non-motivated way," they said in a statement.

On Monday, a Dhaka court sentenced Prof Yunus and three other top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months in prison in a case filed by the government over labour law violations.

"The case against Professor Yunus, as Chair, two other board members and the managing director of Grameen Telecom on workers' contractual and benefit issues was deemed to be a criminal offence resulting in jail terms for them through expedited proceedings," reads the statement.

"When the victims of Rana Plaza still await justice but legal proceedings in this case are concluded in incredible haste against a non-executive Chair of a board with no direct involvement in daily operations, the same can hardly be seen as being motivated by concern for workers.

"This is rightly perceived as weaponizing public systems for harassment which only conveys a negative message about the state of shrinking civic space in Bangladesh and shakes people's confidence in the justice system which often is their last resort for redress.

"We also urge upon all to recognise the importance of protecting the civic space and halt all ongoing harassing actions against the civil society groups and their leadership for Bangladesh's journey on inclusive prosperity," reads the statement.

The signatories to the statement are economist Hossain Zillur Rahman; jurist Shahdeen Malik; rights activists Hameeda Hossain, ZI Khan Panna, Khushi Kabir, Shaheen Anam, Shireen P Huq, Shamsul Huda, Khairul Islam, Faruq Faisel, and Syeed Ahamed; environmental activist Syeda Rizwana Hasan; and educationists Rasheda K Choudhury and Shahnaz Huda.