Labour case against Yunus 'tried with unusual speed': US state dept

The trial of the labour law violation case against Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was done with 'unusual speed', the US Department of State said on Tuesday.

US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller made the remarks in response to a question from a journalist during a regular press briefing on the day, according to the minutes of the press brief published on the US state department's website. 

Citing local media reports, a journalist said during the press brief that a group of 20 unidentified individuals seized Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus' offices recently.

"And as you are aware that Bangladesh regime has taken control over one-sided parliament, judiciary, media, and anti-corruption, now the entity like Grameen. So what is your perspectives on this situation?," the journalist questioned.

In response, Miller said, "So I would say regarding the multiple criminal cases filed against Dr Muhammad Yunus, we note that the labour case was tried with unusual speed.

"The anti-corruption commission has approved a charge sheet for additional cases. Those have drawn widespread condemnation from around the world."

"We share the concerns voiced by other international observers that these cases may represent a misuse of Bangladesh's labour laws to harass and intimidate Dr Yunus.

"We worry the perceived misuse of labour and anti-corruption laws could raise questions about the rule of law and dissuade future foreign direct investment, and we encourage the Bangladeshi Government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for Dr Yunus as the appeals process continues," he added.

The Labour Appeal Tribunal on 28 January granted bail to Muhammad Yunus in the case until the disposal of an appeal filed against his six-month jail sentence.

Earlier on 1 January, Dhaka Labour Court-3 sentenced Grameen Telecom Chairman Dr Yunus and three of its senior officials to six months in jail and fined Tk30,000 each, in the case filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.

The charges include failing to provide a 5% dividend to the Grameen Telecom workers, not regularising 101 staffers, and not compensating workers for working on public holidays.