The United Nations has said Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus is a friend of the UN and he has been critical to the development work they do today.
“Professor Yunus is a dear friend of the United Nations throughout his career,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, told reporters in a regular briefing in New York on February 28.
He said the UN country team in Bangladesh continues to follow Prof Yunus’ case very closely.
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud recently reiterated that the trial regarding the case against Yunus is underway very transparently.
"Bangladesh's judiciary is very transparent. Trial against Prof Yunus is going on in a very transparent way," he said, adding that securing bail is the evidence that the trial is underway very transparently.
Hasan said the aggrieved people of Yunus' organisation filed the cases, and the government is not a party to that.
‘Faced many dangers before, but this is the greatest danger we ever faced’: Dr Yunus
Responding to a question, the UN spokesperson said they have been very consistent, and they continue to call for the release of all those who may have been detained for “merely expressing themselves peacefully”.