Stay calm, refrain from violence

Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday urged the youth to stay calm and get ready to build the nation.

In a statement issued by the Yunus Centre, the Nobel peace laureate also said, “I fervently appeal to everybody to stay calm. Please refrain from all kinds of violence. I appeal to all students, members of all political parties and non-political people to stay calm. This is our beautiful country with lots of exciting possibilities. We must protect and make it a wonderful country for us and for our future generations.”

He added, “Our youth is ready to give this leadership in creating a new world. Let us not miss the chance by going into any senseless violence. Violence is our enemy. Please don’t create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country.

“If we take the path of violence everything will be destroyed. Please stay calm. Help those around you to stay calm.”

In the statement, he congratulated the students who made the “second victory day” possible.

“I congratulate the brave students who took the lead in making our ‘Second Victory Day’ possible and to the people for giving your total support to them. Let us make the best use of our new victory. Let us not let this slip away because of our mistakes.”

THE ACQUITTAL

Later in the day, a Dhaka tribunal acquitted Prof Yunus in a labour law violation case.

Three other top officials of Grameen Telecom were also acquitted.

MA Awal, chairman (in-charge) of the Labour Appellate Tribunal, delivered the verdict, Khaja Tanvir Ahmed, a lawyer for Yunus, told The Daily Star.

On January 1, the Labour Court-3 of Dhaka sentenced  Yunus, also chairman of Grameen Telecom, and its directors Ashraful Hassan, M Shahjahan and Nurjahan Begum to six months’ imprisonment each for violating labour laws.

The four were also fined Tk 30,000 each, in default of which they would have to serve 25 more days in prison.

On January 28, Prof Yunus and his colleagues filed appeals with the Labour Appellate Tribunal against the sentence.

On September 9, 2021, Labour Inspector (General) SM Arifuzzaman filed the case with the labour court against the four.

The court framed the charges in the case on June 6 last year. It also recorded four prosecution witnesses’ statements.

The sections of the labour law under which the case was filed carry a maximum of six months’ imprisonment.

According to the case documents, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments officials inspected the Grameen Telecom office in the capital’s Mirpur on August 16, 2021, and found several violations of labour laws.

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