Nobel Laureate Dr Yunus gets bail in money embezzlement case

DE Online Desk
Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus secured bail today in a money embezzlement case filed against him for allegedly embezzling Taka 25 crore from the company.
Earlier, he surrendered before the court and applied for the bail in Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court.
Following a short hearing, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge As-Shams Jaglul Hossain accepted his plea and granted him bail.
Apart from Dr Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Telecom’s Managing Director Md Nazmul Islam, Directors- Md Ashraful Hasan, Parvin Mahmud, Naznin Sultana, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, Professor SM Hazzatul Islam Latifi also surrendered and applied for bail.
The court however, accepted their bail pleas.
Earlier on February 1, Deputy Director of Anti-Corruption Commission
(ACC) Gulshan Anwar Pradhan submitted charge sheet against 14 including Dr Muhammad Yunus in the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court.
The other accused are– 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.
According to the case documents, a decision was made on the company’s 108th board meeting, presided over by Dr Yunus on May 9, 2022, to open a bank account at Gulshan branch of Dhaka Bank Limited. But 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’ and decision of the board. 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.