DHAKA, June 12, 2024 (BSS) - A court here framed charges against Grameen
Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and 13 others for
allegedly embezzling Taka 25 crore from the company and laundering abroad.
 
Judge Syed Arafat Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 passed the order,
scrapping a discharge petition filed by the accused.
 
The court read out the charges and asked the accused, who are in bail in the
case whether they would plead guilty or not. In response, the accused pleaded
not guilty and demanded justice.
 
Public prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kazal on June 2 took part in the
indictment hearing and pleaded for framing charges against the accused. The
defence, however, argued for discharging the accused from the charges.
 
After hearing both sides, the court had set today for passing its order.
 
The 14 accused in the case are- Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate
Dr Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Telecom Managing Director (MD) Nazmul Islam,
Directors Ashraful Hasan, Naznin Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, Md Shahjahan,
Nurjahan Begum and Professor SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee, President of 'Grameen
Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Union Md Kamruzzaman and its General Secretary
Firoz Mahmud Hasan, lawyers Zafrul Hasan Sharif and Yusuf Ali, Union's
representative Md Mainul Islam and Jatiya Workers Federation's Office
Secretary Kamrul Hasan.
 
The investigation officer in the case and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)
deputy director Gulshan Anwar on February 1 filed the charge sheet against a
total of 14 accused.
 
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on April 2, 2024, took into
cognizance the charge sheet filed in the case and sent the case to Dhaka
Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings.
 
According to the case documents, a decision was made at the company's 108th
board meeting, presided over by Dr Yunus on May 9, 2022, to open a bank
account at the Gulshan branch of Dhaka Bank Limited. However, it was found
that the account was opened a day before the decision was even made.
 
More than Taka 26 crore was transferred to the account on different
occasions, as per 'fake settlement agreements'. But before even distributing
the share of the company's profit to the workers, and letting them know, the
accused embezzled around Taka 25 crore from the fund.