Court Correspondent :
A labour court of Dhaka yesterday granted bail to Nobel Laureate and Grameen Bank founder Dr Muhammad Yunus in three cases filed over sacking three employees of Grameen Communications, IT wing of Grameen Bank.
Dhaka’s Third Labour Court Chairman-in-Charge Zakia Parveen passed the order after Dr Yunus, Chairman of Grameen Communications, surrendered before it seeking bail on Sunday noon. The court granted bail to Yunus on a bond of Tk 10,000 in each case. The also allowed him to appear in the court through his lawyer. However, he was asked to remain present at the court on the day of charge hearing.
Earlier on October 28, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court ordered Dr Yunus to surrender by November 7 in the cases. It also directed the law enforcement agencies not to harass him.
The Third Labour Court issued an arrest warrant for Dr Yunus on October 9 as he was not present in the court in the three cases on the day.
Earlier, the labour court summoned Yunus and two others over sacking three employees of Grameen Communications. Dr Yunus is the Chairman of Grameen Communications. Two others are Managing Director Naznin Sultana and Deputy General Manager Khandaker Abu Abedin. Three former employees of Grameen Communications filed three criminal cases against the trio including Yunus.
The court came up with the order on July 10, but it came to light on October 8 when the complainants made the revelation.
One of the complainants, Emranul Haque said, “We had filed three separate cases for transferring us as part of harassment, issuing threats, and subsequently sacking for forming trade union. The court summoned them to give their explanations”.
It has been learnt that Abdus Salam, Shah Alam and Emranul Haque, Junior MIS Officers of Grameen Communications, were sacked in last June for their role in forming trade union at their workplace.
