“The sole aim of the case is to harass and humiliate him"
Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sentenced to six months in prison for violating Bangladesh’s labour laws.
According to his supporters, the case is politically motivated.
Longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused him of “sucking blood” from poor people.
Hasina’s administration has become increasingly firm in its crackdown on political dissent. She made several verbal attacks against Yunus, who was once seen as a political rival.
Yunus and three colleagues from Grameen Telecom were found guilty and each sentenced to six months in prison.
All four deny any wrongdoing and have been granted bail pending appeals.
After the verdict, Yunus said in a statement:
“As my lawyers have convincingly argued in court, this verdict against me is contrary to all legal precedent and logic.
“I call for the Bangladeshi people to speak in one voice against injustice and in favour of democracy and human rights for each and every one of our citizens.”
One of his lawyers, Khaja Tanvir, said the case was “meritless, false and ill-motivated”, adding:
“The sole aim of the case is to harass and humiliate him in front of the world.”
Known internationally as the “banker to the poor”, Muhammad Yunus was one of the early pioneers of micro-finance banking.
His research into the mechanisms of poverty in Bangladesh among the landless led him to conclude that a system of small loans to those without collateral via lending clubs could allow them to set up their businesses.
Yunus’ system helped to lift millions out of poverty.
In 2006, he and his Grameen Bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
After winning the Nobel prize, Yunus considered founding his own political party, promising to end corruption.
A few months later, he abandoned these plans, citing a lack of support for his new political movement.
Nevertheless, Hasina’s administration began a series of investigations into Yunus.
Muhammad Yunus faces more than 100 other charges over alleged labour law violations and alleged graft.
After a hearing in December 2023, he said he had not profited from any of the social business firms he had set up.
The verdict came as Bangladesh prepares for a general election on January 7, 2024.
Bangladesh’s main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose top leaders are either jailed or in exile, has urged its supporters to boycott what it has called a “one-sided dummy election”.
The BNP is led by the former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Hasina’s arch-rival.
Former Amnesty chief Irene Khan said Yunus’ conviction was “a travesty of justice”.
She said: “A social activist and Nobel laureate who brought honour and pride to the country is being persecuted on frivolous grounds.”
Muhammad Yunus and Grameen faced scrutiny more than 10 years ago after a 2010 documentary alleged the misuse of Norwegian funds. They were cleared by a subsequent Norwegian investigation.
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