Bangladesh’s Nobel Prize winning economist Dr. Muhammad Yunus was sentenced to 6 months in jail by the court on Monday.
This action was taken against him for violation of labor law.
Yunus’s supporters have described this incident as politically motivated. Labor court judge Sheikh Marina Sultana, while delivering the verdict, said that the charge of violating the labor law against him has been proven.
The justice ruled that Yunus must serve 6 months of simple imprisonment for violating the law as chairman of Grameen Telecom. Along with Yunus, three other people have also been sentenced by the court.
83-year-old Yunus was present in the court when the verdict was announced. The justice also imposed a fine of Tk 25,000 on each of them and said that failing which they would have to spend 10 more days in jail.
It is known that Bangladeshi Taka is the currency of Bangladesh. Yunus and three others applied for bail soon after the verdict.
The judge granted him one month’s bail against a surety bond of Tk 5,000.
Nobel Peace Prize awarded for anti-poverty campaign
Under the law, Yunus and the three others can appeal the verdict to a higher court.
It is believed that an appeal can be filed in the court regarding this soon. Let us tell you that Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his anti-poverty campaign through Grameen Bank.
His dispute with the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina continues for unknown reasons.
After Hasina came to power in 2008, authorities started investigating Yunus in several cases. His supporters have described the decision as politically motivated.