Yunus gets bail in embezzlement case

Court Correspondent :
A Dhaka court yesterday set June 2 for hearing on charge framing in a case against Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and 13 others for allegedly embezzling Taka 25 crore from the company and laundering abroad.

Thursday was earlier fixed for indictment hearing. But, Judge Syed Arafat Hossain of the Special Judge Court-4 of Dhaka rescheduled the date, allowing a time plea of the defense.

Meanwhile, the court also extended the tenure of the bail of the accused people on earlier conditions.

The 14 accused in the case are- Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Telecom Managing Director (MD) Nazmul Islam, Directors Ashraful Hasan, Naznin Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum and Professor SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee, President of ‘Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Union Md Kamruzzaman and its General Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan, lawyers Zafrul Hasan Sharif and Yusuf Ali, Union’s representative Md Mainul Islam and Jatiya Workers Federation Office Secretary Kamrul Hasan.

Investigation Officer of the case and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar on February 1 submitted the charge sheet against the 14 accused.

The Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court of Dhaka on April 2 of this year, took cognizance the charge sheet filed in the case and sent the case to Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings.

According to the case documents, a decision was made at the company’s 108th board meeting, presided over by Dr Yunus on May 9 of 2022, to open a bank account at Gulshan branch of Dhaka Bank Limited. But it was found that the account was opened a day before the decision was even made.