Bangladesh Supreme Court Confirms High Court Ruling Dismissing Labour Law Cases Against Muhammad Yunus

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh recently confirmed its decision to uphold a High Court ruling that dismissed five labour law cases against Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. According to a media report, the court found no legal flaws or interference in the High Court's judgment.

A three-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, issued this order last month. The panel rejected a petition seeking permission to appeal the High Court's decision, as reported by the state-run BSS news agency.

Legal Proceedings and Appeals

The full text of the Supreme Court's judgment was published recently. It reiterated that there were no legal deficiencies or external influences affecting the High Court's ruling. The cases against Yunus were initially filed in 2019 at the Labour Court in Dhaka.

These cases arose when Yunus was serving as chairman of Grameen Telecommunications. They were related to employee terminations under a proposed trade union act. In 2020, Yunus sought relief from the High Court to dismiss these cases.

High Court Ruling and Government Response

Following Yunus's appeal, the High Court issued a ruling in his favour. On October 24 of the previous year, after a final hearing, the court made its decision permanent and dismissed the proceedings of these cases.

In response, the government filed five leave-to-appeal petitions with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. However, these appeals were ultimately dismissed by the Supreme Court panel.

Background on Grameen Telecom

Muhammad Yunus established Grameen Telecom as a non-profit entity in 1983. His involvement with this organisation has been significant over the years, contributing to its development and operations.

The recent judicial decisions have reinforced Yunus's position by confirming that there was no legal basis for continuing with the labour law cases against him. This outcome marks an important chapter in his ongoing legal journey.