The Labour Appellate Tribunal has extended the bail period for Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, chairman of Grameen Telecom, along with three other top officials. Acting Chairman MA Awal issued the order on Sunday.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus' lawyer, Abdullah Al Mamun, disclosed that the court has scheduled the next hearing for April 16 in the case. The officials were initially granted bail on January 18.

Earlier, on January 1, a Dhaka court had sentenced Dr. Muhammad Yunus and three others to six months in jail for labour law violations. They were also fined Tk5,000 and Tk25,000 under different sections, with additional prison time stipulated for defaulting on payment.

The court granted them one month to file an appeal in the High Court to contest the verdict. The other accused in the case include Grameen Telecom CEO Md Ashraful Hassan, Managing Director M Shahjahan, and Trustee Nurjahan Begum.

Dr. Yunus faces over 100 other charges related to labour law violations and alleged graft. Despite the legal proceedings, he maintains that the social business firms he established were not for personal gain.

In a show of solidarity, 160 global figures, including former US president Barack Obama and ex-UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, expressed concern over the judicial harassment faced by Dr. Yunus. Over 100 Nobel laureates joined in denouncing the situation, citing fears for his safety and freedom.

The case against Dr. Muhammad Yunus and others was initiated by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments following an inspection at Grameen Telecom. The violations noted include failure to formalize the employment of 101 workers, non-formation of workers' participation and welfare funds, and failure to allocate 5% of the company's dividend to workers, as per the case files.