<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">The Appellate Division on Monday rejected a petition to scrap the trial proceeding in the case filed against Nobel Laureate and Chairman of Grameen Communications Dr Muhammad Yunus for violating the Labour Law.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The three-member appellate division headed by Justice Md. Nuruzzaman passed the order.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now there is no legal bar to continuing the trial proceeding against him in the labour court, said Khurshid Alam Khan, counsel of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun appeared in the court hearing on behalf of Prof Yunus.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On September 9, 2021, Labour Inspector Arifuzzaman of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, filed the case with Dhaka 3rd Labour Court.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other accused in the case are- Ashraful Hasan, Managing Director of Grameen Telecom, its directors Nurzahan Begum and Shahjahan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the case, in an inspection visit to Grameen Telecom inspectors of the department found that 101 workers and staff who were supposed to be permanent were not made so.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No participation fund and welfare fund was formed for them and five per cent of the company’s profit was not provided to the workers following the law.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Upon a complaint, a criminal case was filed under sections 4, 7, 8, 117, 234 of the Labour Act.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On October 12, the labour court granted bail to all four accused.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Later on December 7, Prof Yunus filed a petition with the High Court seeking scrapping of the case.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On December 12, HC stayed the procedure of a case for six months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On August 17 last year, the High Court (HC) rejected a petition to scrap the case.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Later Prof Yunus filed a leave to appeal against the High Court verdict. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>