A tribunal in Dhaka has prolonged the bail period for Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who serves as the chairman of Grameen Telecom, along with three other key executives of the company, in connection with a case involving violations of labour laws.

The decision to extend the bail duration until May 23 was made by Labour Appellate Tribunal Judge MA Awal following a hearing on a plea filed by Dr. Yunus seeking permanent bail in the case.

Subsequently, the court dismissed the request for permanent bail and opted to extend the bail period until the specified date.

Earlier on January 1, Dr. Muhammad Yunus and three other individuals were sentenced to six months in jail by a Dhaka court for contravening labour laws. The verdict was announced by Dhaka Labour Court 3 judge Sheikh Marina Sultana, who later granted them bail upon the submission of separate petitions.

Additionally, fines of Tk5,000 and Tk25,000 were imposed on the defendants under different sections, with the possibility of additional imprisonment if the fines are not paid.

Dr. Yunus, who faces numerous other charges related to labour law violations and alleged corruption, has maintained that the social business ventures he established in Bangladesh were not for personal gain.

The case against Dr. Yunus and the others was initiated by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments following observations of various labour law infractions during an inspection at Grameen Telecom. These infractions include the non-permanent employment of 101 workers, absence of workers' participation and welfare funds, and failure to allocate a portion of the company's dividends to workers.