Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh, was acquitted on Sunday in a corruption case by a special court in Dhaka. According to an official from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) speaking to The Daily Star, Yunus, a Nobel laureate, was acquitted by Judge Muhammed Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 of Dhaka, along with 13 others, including Nurjahan Begum, the government’s health advisor. Read more.
Yunus was indicted in June on ACC charges of embezzling money from the profit participation fund of Grameen Telecom Nazmul Islam. Under Article 234 of the Bangladesh Labour Act of 2006, a certain percentage of profit is mandated to be distributed among the workers of a company. Yunus, along with 13 other defendants, was accused of embezzling and illegally transacting 252 million Bangladeshi Taka from funds meant for employees. The case was initially placed before the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka before being transferred to the Special Judge’s Court. Read more.
Yunus and his associates were convicted in January on separate charges for violating labor law regulations in their operation of Grameen Telecom. They were accused of violating the Bangladesh Labour Act by not following rules relating to workers’ contracts and the establishment of necessary welfare funds. He was later granted bail by an appellate court, with US Senators labeling the proceedings “harassment” intended to prevent criticism of the government.
Earlier this month, Yunus was appointed as Bangladesh’s interim leader following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled the nation amidst mass protests. The appointment of Yunus took place after consultation with various stakeholders, including political parties, activist groups, and civil society members.
For further details, visit the full article.