Different political parties, eminent citizens, academicians and lawyers in Bangladesh strongly criticised the joint statement issued some 160 foreign nationals, including former US President Barak Obama and former Foreign Minister Hillary Clinton, for interfering a sub-judiciary matter involving Dr Muhammad Yunus.
Besides, some lawyers in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh sent a counter letter to former US President Barak Obama, former Foreign Minister Hillary Clinton and others asking them to withdraw their statement showing honour to the judiciary system in Bangladesh.
The foreign nationals issued the statement requesting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to halt a case that has been filed by the employees of a company own by Yunus for depriving them from their rights.
In a statement, signed by Awami League Liberation War Affairs Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das, on behalf of the alliance, leaders of the 14-party said many Nobel laureates in different countries of the world have been sued and prosecuted according to the laws of those countries.
As per the country's constitution and laws, Dr Yunus is enjoying the right to defend himself as he is moving freely on getting bail from the court through his hired lawyer, they said, adding that the cases against Dr Yunus have no connection with politics.
It is by no means expected from any conscious person to issue such a statement that affects the normal course of law, judiciary and the court, the statement said, adding such undue interference and illegal initiatives are nothing but unwanted interference.
“In the previous years, we were surprised to notice that domestic and foreign evil forces exerted pressure on Bangladesh to stop the trial proceedings of the infamous war criminals, who committed crimes against humanity during the great Liberation War in 1971,” the 14-party leaders said.
Issuance of a motivated statement to stop the ongoing trial proceedings against Dr Yunus, which aimed at realizing sectarian and geopolitical interests, have deeply disappointed the democracy-loving and progressive people as well as the conscious civil society members in Bangladesh, they added.
Every patriotic citizen of the country believes that Bangladesh is committed to establish the rights of justice for any victim affected by Dr Yunus or any other person, the statement read.
The 14-party leaders said successful statesman Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has established the rule of law instead of the culture of impunity in this country.
“An independent judiciary has been established. The present government is determined to establish the rights of the people to get justice,” they said.
They urged everybody to refrain from issuing such statement or pursue any activities that would hinder or affect the independence, sovereignty, constitution, law and judicial system of Bangladesh.
In a separate statement, the leaders of Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA) expressed their concern over the statement by the foreign nationals for their interference into the judiciary system in Bangladesh.
DUTA president Professor Dr Md Nizamul Huq Bhuiyan and general secretary Professor Dr Zinat Huda in a joint statement said that such type of statement is direct interference to the sovereignty of an independent nation, its democracy and the judiciary system.
// The statement further reveals that according to Article 94(4) of the Constitution of Bangladesh, the judiciary of Bangladesh is fully independent. Therefore, by issuing such letters, we think that they have interfered with the independent judicial system of Bangladesh in an unethical, illegal and unconstitutional manner.
The people who signed the letter were keen to protect the interests of Dr. Yunus but remained completely silent on the human rights and legal protection of the workers. Such a statement is completely against the provisions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the laws of Bangladesh regarding the rights of workers.
According to the statement, DUTA believes that the comments made in the open letter to prime minister regarding democracy and elections in Bangladesh amount to direct interference against an independent sovereign state. The people of this country got independence and a sovereign land through sacrificing lives in liberation war and hence, the people of Bangladesh will not accept such humiliating, unwanted and illegal interference in any way. It appears that there is an ulterior political motive behind such statements.
“We call upon all concerned to respect Bangladesh's independence, sovereignty, independent judiciary and workers' rights”, the statement further states.
On August 28, 2023, a few Nobel laureates, politicians, businessmen and respected members of civil society wrote an open letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In the letter, they called on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to suspend the ongoing case against Muhammad Yunus.
On August 20, a full bench of the Appellate Division cleared the way for the criminal case to continue against the founder of Grameen Bank, Dr Muhammad Yunus and his co-defendants, by rejecting a petition to prevent the case from proceeding. The trial commenced two days later. According to case documents in the public domain, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) visited Grameen Telecom and uncovered various violations of the labour law. They said 101 workers were supposed to be made permanent, but were not. Workers' and welfare funds were not constituted. Additionally, 5% of the dividends of Grameen Telecom was supposed to accrue to the workers, but that didn't happen, the case filed by the DIFE against Dr. Yunus in September 2021 alleged. Dr Yunus chaired the Board of Trustees of Grameen Telecom, which is registered as a trust. Moreover, in another case allegations of tax evasion against Muhammad Yunus have been conclusively proved.
In another statement, Association of Universities of Bangladesh also expressed concern as saying that the Judiciary system in Bangladesh is independent and nobody is above the law.
AUB expressed its concern through issuing a statement yesterday which was signed by Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman. Dr. Habibur Rahman is president of Bangladesh University Parishad Association and Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology, Gazipur.
“They (those who signed the statement) should respect the independent judicial system of Bangladesh and withdraw their misleading and ignorant opinions and uphold the status of a free and democratic state like Bangladesh”, the statement reads.
AUB thinks that the judiciary of Bangladesh is completely independent, and everything is governed by law.
AUB stated that an independent judiciary takes decisions based on evidence and no one can interfere in its matters. “According to Article 22 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the judiciary is separate and independent from the executive. That is, the judiciary will work independently, the executive cannot interfere here. In the Constitution of Bangladesh, as all citizens of this country have the right to seek refuge in law, so the application of law applies equally to all citizens. We assert that the rule of law prevails in the country, and no one is above the law”, the statement suggests.
It further reads, Bangladesh achieved its independence through sacrificing lives of 30 lacs martyrs and enduring suffering in nine months long bloody liberation war. Hence, issuing such a statement about pending cases without proper review for Dr. Yunus is by no means desirable. They have done so without knowing the law and principles of independence of judiciary of Bangladesh. This amounts to a threat for an independent sovereign state.
Meanwhile, four lawyers of the Bangladesh Supreme Court in a counter letter to Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton and other who signed in the open statement in favour of Dr Yunus have asked them to withdraw their statement immediately.
Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab, Barrister Prashanta Barua, Barrister Mohammad Kausar and Barrister Mohammad Imrul Kayes jointly sent the counter letter through e-mail on Thursday.
In the letter, the lawyers mentioned that the statement by the foreign nationals into the judiciary system in Bangladesh was unexpected and contempt of the court.
“With such statement you have dihonoured yourselves”, the letter said.
The copies of the letters have also been forwarded to the Secretary General of the United Nations and Dr Yunus.
