HC bars Dr Yunus from leaving country

The High Court (HC) has barred Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus from leaving the country without prior notice.

A High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ebadoth Hossain passed the order on Monday (5 February).

At the same time, the High Court issued a ruling seeking an explanation as to why Dr Yunus's bail in the labour law violation case, in which he was handed down six months imprisonment, should not be declared illegal.

On January 28, the Labour Appellate Tribunal granted bail to Dr Yunus and three other top officials of Grameen Telecom in the labour law violation case following separate appeals filed by them.

On Sunday (4 February), the Directorate of Factories and Institutions filed an appeal with the High Court challenging the Labour Appellate Tribunal's order staying the sentence and granting bail to Yunus.

The directorate had also sought a court order to bar Dr Yunus from travelling abroad.

On 1 January, Dhaka Labour Court-3 sentenced Grameen Telecom Chairman Dr Yunus and three of its senior officials to six months in jail and fined Tk30,000 each, in the case filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.

The charges include failing to provide a 5% dividend to the Grameen Telecom workers, not regularising 101 staffers, and not compensating workers for working on public holidays.

On 9 September 2021, Inspector Arifuzzaman from the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments filed the case with the labour court and the court summoned the four accused to appear before it by 12 October 2021.

The other three accused are – Grameen Telecom's Director (former managing director) Md Ashraful Hassan, and members of the Board of Directors Nurjahan Begum and Md Shahjahan.