Dr Yunus gets bail in money embezzlement case

A Dhaka court has granted bail to Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and 13 others in a case filed for allegedly embezzling Taka 25 crore from the company and laundering abroad.

Judge Syed Arafat Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 passed the order on Thursday. 

Earlier on February 1, the investigation officer in the case and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) deputy director Gulshan Anwar filed the charge-sheet against 14 accused.

The accused are- Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, 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 108th 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.