171 prominent citizens, intellectuals protest call to halt legal action against Dr Yunus

A total of 171 prominent citizens, intellectuals and professionals in the country issued a joint statement on Friday, protesting global leaders' call to suspend legal action against Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus.

The statement of the open letter written by some Nobel laureates, politicians, businessmen and members of civil society from different countries to the prime minister "seems to be a clear threat to the sovereignty and independent judiciary of Bangladesh," they said.

More than 170 global leaders, including more than 100 Nobel laureates, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 28 August, saying, "We are alarmed that he [Yunus] has recently been targeted by what we believe to be continuous judicial harassment."

"In the letter, a call has been made to stop the trial of the ongoing cases filed against Muhammad Yunus. As conscientious citizens of the country, we are deeply concerned about such undue interference in the judicial process of Bangladesh," said the statement, issued by Dhaka University Professor Nisar Hossain, on behalf of the 171 signatories.

"Several legal and ethical questions come to the fore in the wake of the said open letter. According to Article 94(4) of the Constitution of Bangladesh, judges are completely independent in their judicial work," it said.

According to the constitution, no one involved in the state governance, including the prime minister, has any jurisdiction to interfere in the judicial process, reads the statement. 

"The statement of the said letter is contrary to the Constitution of Bangladesh and the fundamental rights of workers recognised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)," it said.

"We believe that the call made in the open letter for conducting the trial of the charges brought against Yunus 'by a neutral judge' has disgraced Bangladesh's judicial system," said the statement.

"All citizens are equal under the law, according to the constitution of independent and sovereign Bangladesh, which was achieved through the Liberation War. Everyone has the right to legal protection under this constitution, which came into being at the cost of thousands of lives," said the statement.

"It is to be noted that the trial of Muhammad Yunus is being conducted independently and according to the prevailing laws of Bangladesh. In that context, the complaint of 'judicial harassment' is baseless and uncalled for. Besides Dr Yunus, as an independent citizen of Bangladesh, has always continued all activities at personal and institutional levels in the country and abroad," the statement reads.

"Bangladesh's relationship with the respective countries of the individuals who signed the open letter is very close. We hope that the petitioners will allow and respect the judicial system of Bangladesh as they do in their respective countries," the statement added.

The signatories of the statement include educationists, economists, lawyers, journalists, actors, writers and theatre personalities.

The signatories include educationists such as Shariff Enamul Kabir, former VC of Jahangirnagar University, Syed Anwar Husain, former history professor of Dhaka University, Kamrul Hasan Khan, former VC of BSMMU, Dr Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin, president of the Bangladesh Medical Association, Prof Nazrul Islam, former chairman of the University Grants Commission, Prof Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, former VC of Islamic University Bangladesh, Prof Dr Mohammad Fayek Uzzaman, former VC of Khulna University, Physicist Dr AA Mamun, Historian Muntasir Mamun, and Prof Atiur Rahman, emeritus professor and former governor of Bangladesh Bank.

Theatre personalities such as Hasan Imam, Ramendu Majumdar, Mamunur Rashid, Suborna Mustafa, Pijush Bandyopadhyay, Lucky Enam and Chanchal Chowdhury were among the signatories.

Poet Nirmalendu Goon, journalist Abed Khan, sociologist and writer Prof Bulbul Osman, journalist Ajoy Dasgupta, journalist Shyamal Dutta, writer Shahriar Kabir, Engineer Nurul Huda, Kazi Saifuddin Abbas, general secretary of Projonmo '71, Momtazuddin Fakir, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, artist and freedom fighter Shahabuddin Ahmed were also among the signatories.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association also issued a press statement yesterday, saying the open letter of the global leaders is an undue interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh.

"The contents of the letter are based upon incorrect information. They would not have written such a letter if they had known the truth," said the Supreme Court Bar Association in a press statement.

Moreover, 13 cultural organisations under the Sammilita Sangskritik Jote have expressed concern regarding the open letter.

In a statement issued yesterday, they said, "The call to halt legal action against Dr Yunus amounts to a direct attack on the rule of law and the independent judiciary of a country. We protest against such illegal and undesired demand."