Hearing of Prof Yunus’ petition: Heated debate between Bench, lawyer

Staff Reporter :
A heated debate took place between a High Court Bench and a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court on Wednesday during hearing of a petition filed by Nobel laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus.

Prof Yunus has earlier submitted the petition to the HC challenging a labour court order that framed charges against him and three other top officials of Grameen Telecom in a case filed on charge of violating the labour law.

On Wednesday, heated argument occurred centering lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan’s insisting on the Bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das for the copy a supplementary petition placed by Yunus’ lawyer Abdullah-Al-Mamun before it.

Khurshid Alam was present in the courtroom as the lawyer of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) that lodged the case against Yunus and others. At a stage of the arguments, the Bench told Khurshid Alam Khan that “You (Khurshid) seem to be over enthusiastic with this case”.

“We will hear arguments from the petitioner’s lawyer (Mamun) first and then from the Attorney General’s office (which represents the State). If we issue a rule or stay order, you will get opportunity to place arguments and you will be given the copy of the supplementary petition before you to place arguments. You have no locus standi to seek such a copy at this stage,” the Bench told the lawyer Khursid.

Khurshid Alam told the court that he is entitled to get the copy of the supplementary petition, in which Yunus’ lawyer Barrister Abdullah-Al-Mamun has mentioned interpretation of laws and his arguments, and to place arguments on behalf of his client before the Bench.