Staff Correspondent

Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus secured bail on Sunday in a case filed against him for allegedly embezzling Tk25 crore from the company.

Earlier in the day, he surrendered before the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court and submitted a bail petition.

Following a short hearing, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge As-Shams Jaglul Hossain accepted his plea and granted him bail.

Apart from Dr Yunus, Grameen Telecom Managing Director Md Nazmul Islam, directors Md Ashraful Hasan, Parvin Mahmud, Naznin Sultana, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, SM Hazzatul Islam Latifee also surrendered and applied for bail.

The court, however, accepted their bail pleas.

On 1 February, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar Pradhan submitted a charge sheet against 14 people, including Dr Yunus, before the court.

The other accused are – Nazmul Islam, Ashraful Hasan, Naznin Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, Huzzatul Islam Latifee, Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Union President Md Kamruzzaman and General Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan, lawyers Zafrul Hasan Sharif and Yusuf Ali, Union's representative Md Mainul Islam, and Jatiya Workers Federation Office Secretary Kamrul Hasan.

According to the case documents, a decision was made at the company's 108th board meeting, presided over by Dr Yunus on 9 May 2022, to open a bank account at the 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 Tk26 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 Tk25 crore from the fund.