High court stays arrest warrant against Dr Yunus

The High Court today stayed the arrest warrant issued against Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus till October 25.

A lower court issued the warrant against him in three cases filed over the termination of employees for creating a trade union.

An HC bench comprising justices Muhammad Abdul Aziz and Ahmed Sohel also stayed the proceedings of the cases.

Dr Yunus's counsel Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud placed the plea seeking stay on the lower court order.

Earlier, Chairman Rahibul Islam of the Labour Court issued the warrant on October 9 as Dr Yunus failed to appear before court in response to an earlier summons in the cases.

Three former employees who were dismissed by Grameen Communications (established by Dr Yunus) filed cases against the Dr Yunus and two officials of the company on July 3. The court later summoned the three accused on October 8.

Grameen Communication's Managing Director Naznin Sultana and Deputy General Manager Khandaker Abu Abedin surrendered before court and secured bail, but Dr Yunus did not show up.

The plaintiff in one of the cases, Abdus Salam said some employees formed a trade union named "Grameen Communications Sramik Karmachari Union" to organise themselves and to ensure employee welfare.

The trade union applied to the director general of Grameen Communications for registration on April 16 this year, but it was denied on June 9.

Abdus Salam alleged that one of the accused started misbehaving with them after hearing about the formation of the trade union.

At one stage, the accused sacked the three employees - Abdus Salam, Shah Alam and Emranul Haque - without showing any cause for the termination.