A Dhaka court on Monday fixed August 5 for starting the trial of the case filed against Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus and 13 others over misappropriation of about Tk 25.22 crore of Grameen Telecom Workers' profit participation fund.
Judge Md Robiul Alam of the Special Judge's Court-4 of Dhaka passed the order following a defence petition, said Belal Hossain, bench assistant of the court to the Bangladesh Post.
Prof Yunus, along with his lawyers, appeared before the court at around 11am. In the petition, the defence lawyer said they had earlier filed an application with the High Court challenging the legality of framing charge against their client Prof. Yunus and others. This is now pending a hearing. So, the hearing should be adjourned until the finalisation of the HC decision. While the ACC public prosecutor opposed it, saying that the HC is yet to hear it and give any decision on the petition submitted on behalf of Prof. Yunus,.
Earlier, the same Court framed charge on June 12 against Dr. Yunus and 13 others.
On April 2, Senior Special Judge and Metropolitan Sessions Judge of Dhaka Ash-Sams Jaglul Hossain ordered the transfer of the case to Special Judge-4 for trial after taking into account the complaint against 14 accused. On February 1, Investigation Officer Gulshan Anwar Prodhan, a deputy director of the ACC, placed the charge sheet before the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka.
In this case, the ACC filed a charge sheet against 14 people in court on January 30. On May 30 last year, Gulshan Anwar filed the case with the ACC's integrated district office in Dhaka. The case was filed on charges of misappropriation of Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Kalyan Fund. They have been accused of misappropriating Tk 25.22 crore from the fund. The name of one more person found in the investigation was added to the 13 accused in the case.
The 13 other accused are Grameen Telecom Managing Director Nazmul Islam, Directors Ashraful Hassan, Naznin Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, M Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, and SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee, Sramik-Karmachari Union President Kamruzzaman, General Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan and representative Mainul Islam, Jatiya Workers Federation Office Secretary Kamrul Hasan, and lawyers Zafrul Hasan Sharif and Yusuf Ali.
All 14 accused, including Prof. Yunus, are now on bail.
