Online Desk :

Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus has pleaded for bail in an embezzlement case filed against him for allegedly embezzling Taka 25 crore from the company. Lawyer Abdullah Al Mamun applied for the bail on his behalf in Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court. 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 108^th 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.