In a case involving a labor law infringement, a Dhaka court convicted Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus and three high-ranking officers of Grameen Telecom to six months in jail and a fine of Tk 25,000 apiece.

The ruling was delivered by Judge Sheikh Merina Sultana of the Dhaka 3rd Labor Court.

About 2:45 pm, Dr. Yunus arrived at the courthouse.

After hearing arguments from the prosecution and defense on December 24, 2023, the court scheduled a verdict hearing for January 1.

On June 6, 2023, Dhaka Labor Court-3 framed charges against the four accused.

The others accused in the case are: Ashraful Hasan, CEO of Grameen Telecom Trust; trustee Nurjahan Begum; and managing director M Shahjahan.

Dr Yunus and the three others filed a petition challenging the legality of the charge framing and seeking a stay order on trial proceedings in the case.

The High Court on July 23 last year issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the indictment order against the four should not be scrapped.

Dhaka Labor Court-3 filed accusations against the four defendants on June 6, 2023.

The other defendants in the lawsuit are managing director M Shahjahan, trustee Nurjahan Begum, and CEO of Grameen Telecom Trust Ashraful Hasan.

In their petition, Dr. Yunus and the other three parties contested the validity of the charge wording and asked for a stay of the case's trial processes.

On July 23, of last year, the High Court issued an order requesting an explanation from the government as to why the indictment order against the four should remain in place.

The Appellate Division gave the High Court instructions on August 3 to address the rule that challenges the charges that the lower court in the case had brought against Dr. Yunus and others.

The lawsuit was filed with Dhaka's 3rd Labor Court on September 9, 2021, by Labor Inspector Arifuzzaman of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.

As per the complaint, department inspectors discovered that 101 employees and staff members who were meant to be permanent had not been made permanent during their inspection visit to Grameen Telecom.

A welfare fund and participation fund were not established for them, and the employees did not get the legally required five percent of the company's profits. A criminal case was launched under sections 4, 7, 8, 117, 234 of the Labor Act, and based on a complaint.