Court accepts charges against Prof Yunus

A Dhaka court yesterday accepted the charges pressed against Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and 13 others in a case filed over misappropriation of about Tk 25.22 crore of Grameen Telecom Workers’ Profit Participation Fund.

Judge Mohammed Ash-shams Joglul Hossain of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka passed the order, said an official of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Meanwhile, Professor Muhammad Yunus said  people are not getting the benefit of the “rule of law”. He was speaking to reporters in front of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court.

Speaking about social business, he said “…If we follow the path, we’ll get that freedom [from misfortune]. We are moving forward in that way. But we’re being obstructed at every step.” When asked why they were being obstructed, Prof Yunus replied, “You can judge that. What can we explain?”

The court set May 2 for hearing on charge framing in the case.

It also transferred the case to the Special Judge’s Court-4 of Dhaka for next course of action.

On February 1, Investigation Officer Gulshan Anwar Prodhan, a deputy director of the ACC, placed the charge sheet before the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka.

The 13 other accused are Grameen Telecom Managing Director Nazmul Islam, Directors Ashraful Hassan, Naznin Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, M Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, and SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee, Sramik-Karmachari Union President Kamruzzaman, General Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan and representative Mainul Islam, Jatiya Workers Federation Office Secretary Kamrul Hasan, and lawyers Zafrul Hasan Sharif and Yusuf Ali.

On May 30 last year, Gulshan Anwar filed the case with the ACC’s integrated district office in Dhaka.

The ACC approved the charge sheet on January 29.