The trial of the case filed against Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and three other over violations of labour laws began at a Dhaka court today.
Prof Yunus is the chairman of Grameen Telecom, while the three other accused are top officials Ashraful Hasan, Nur Jahan Begum and Mohammad Shahjahan.
Sheikh Merina Sultana, chairman of the Third Labour Court of Dhaka, started recording statements of prosecution witness Tariqul Islam, also a labour inspector, this noon, Barrister Khaja Tanvir Ahmed, a defence lawyer, told.
During today's hearing, Prof Yunus did not appear before the court. However, his lawyer represented him at the court.
On June 6, the court framed charges against the accused, including Prof Yunus, in the case.
On September 9, 2021, Labour Inspector (general) SM Arifuzzaman of the Inspection for Factories and Establishments Department filed the case with the Third Labour Court of Dhaka.
According to the case documents, officials of the Inspection for Factories and Establishments Department on August 16, 2021, inspected the office of Grameen Telecom in the capital's Mirpur and found several violations of labour laws.
On August 19 that year, the department sent a letter to the authorities of Grameen Telecom, mentioning that 67 of its employees were supposed to be made permanent employees. But it was not done, the case statement said.
Besides, the employee's participation and welfare funds were yet to be formed, and five percent of the company's dividends supposed to be paid to the workers, were not paid, it added.
