Staff Reporter :
Misuse of labour and anti-corruption commission (ACC) laws may raise questions about the rule of law in Bangladesh. At the same time, the country is likely to face negative impact on Bangladesh’s prospects for foreign investment.
In response to a query regarding Nobel laureate economist Professor Muhammad Yunus and control of some organizations at Grameen Telecom Bhaban, the spokesperson of the US State Department, Matthew Miller, made the comments.
The press briefing was held at the US State Department in Washington on Tuesday local time.
In the briefing, a journalist wanted to know to Miller, “Last Monday, news was published in the media on Monday that a group of 20 people has taken over Prof Yunus’s office.
You know, Bangladesh’s one-party parliament, judiciary, media, anti-corruption commission-everything is being controlled by the ruling party even institutions like Grameen now also. What is your opinion in this regard?’
In response to the query, Matthew Miller said, “Several cases have been filed against Prof Yunus. Among these, the cases under the Labor Act have been tried with unusual speed, which has come to our notice.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has approved a chargesheet for additional cases. Those have drawn widespread condemnation from around the world.” Last month, Yunus was handed a six-month jail sentence for violations of labour laws and is now facing fresh graft charges from the Anti-Corruption Commission.
“We worry over 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 said.
Despite being convicted on Jan 1, Yunus, the head of Grameen Telecom, was not immediately jailed as he was granted a one-month bail to appeal the decision. As criminal charges against Yunus pile up, Miller pointed to the “unusual speed” of the trial in the labour case, fuelling concerns about the potential weaponisation of the judicial process by the government.
“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.”
He called on Bangladesh government to ensure a “fair and transparent” legal process for Yunus as he appeals against his conviction.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said that the trial of Chairman of Grameen Telecom and Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus was done in a very transparent process.
He made this comment in a press conference on the occasion of ‘Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Munich’ at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.