March 7, 2024
DHAKA – The High Court today started hearing 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 officials of Grameen Telecom in a labour law violation case.
The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ebadoth also adjourned the hearing till March 10 for resuming further proceedings on the matter.
During the hearing today, advocate Khurshid Alam Khan, lawyer for Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, told the HC that an appellate court cannot stay the conviction and sentence of the accused by a trial court under the relevant rules of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The appellate court can only stay an order of fine, he argued.
Lawyers Abdullah Al Mamun and Khaja Tanvir Ahmed were present for Prof Yunus and three other top officials of Grameen Telecom. They are expected to place arguments on March 10.
On January 28, the Labour Appellate Tribunal granted bail to Grameen Telecom Chairman Yunus and its directors Ashraful Hassan, Nurjahan Begum, and M Shahjahan in the case following separate appeals filed by them.
The tribunal accepted their appeals and also stayed till March 3 the lower court’s verdict that on January 1 convicted and sentenced each of them to six months’ jail.
Following a criminal revision petition filed by DIFE, the HC bench, on February 5, said that Prof Yunus and the 3 others must inform the Labour Appellate Tribunal if they go abroad.
The HC also issued a rule asking the state to explain why the tribunal’s stay order should not be scrapped and halted the stay order till the disposal of the rule.
On March 3, the Labour Appellate Tribunal extended the bail of Yunus and three others in the case also set April 16 as the next date of hearing on their appeals.