Prof Yunus
US wants a ‘fair and transparent’ legal process regarding case against Prof Yunus
The United States has said it wants to see a fair and transparent legal process regarding the case against Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus.
"For our part, we have encouraged the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a regular media briefing at Washington on January 3.
The US State Department spokesperson said Yunus has made significant contributions to the alleviation of poverty around the world, as reflected in his Nobel Peace Prize and numerous other international honors.
Dr Yunus describes verdict as 'contrary to all legal precedent and logic'
He said they have been following the case against him closely.
"We’ve seen, of course, the widespread international criticism of the verdict," Miller said.
He said they will continue to follow any further developments closely.
On Monday, Labour Court No.3 of Dhaka, sentenced the microfinance pioneer and three top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months’ jail in a case over violations of the labor law.
Verdict against Dr Yunus an outcome of AL govt’s political vengeance: Ganatantra Mancha
In a statement published by Yunus Centre, Yunus said, “As my lawyers have convincingly argued in court, this verdict against me is contrary to all legal precedent and logic.”
He pledged to serve the countrymen and the social business movement to the best of his ability.
“I call for the Bangladeshi people to speak in one voice against injustice and in favor of democracy and human rights for each and every one of our citizens,” said the 83-year-old.
Yunus, along with three Grameen Telecom officials, managed to avoid prison, as they were granted bail.
Responding to a question on January 7 polls, US Spokesperson Miller again said they support a free and fair election in Bangladesh.
"We have made that quite clear a number of times. We will watch the elections very closely," he said.
But of course, the US State Department spokesperson added, he would never speculate in advance about what actions they may or may not take in response to any development.
Dr Yunus was sentenced by court, AL not responsible for it: Quader
Prof Yunus seeks stay on labour court case trial
Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus moved the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking a stay on proceedings in a case filed against him in the Dhaka Labour Court.
Lawyer Abdullah Al Mamun filed the appeal on behalf of the Nobel laureate and former chairman of Grameen Communications Ltd.
On August 17, a High Court bench of justices SM Kuddus Zaman and Fahmida Quader rejected Dr Yunus' petition paving the way for trial in the case.
On June 13, the Appellate Division stayed the trial proceedings of the case for two months.
The SC also ordered the HC bench, led by Justice SM Kuddus Zaman, to dispose of the rule seeking explanation as to why the case against Prof Yunus should not be cancelled.
On June 7, the Appellate Division ordered the disposal of the rule within two months.
On September 9 last year, labour inspector Arifuzzaman of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, filed the case in Dhaka Labour Court (Third).
Other accused in the case are Ashraful Hasan, Managing Director of Grameen Telecom, and its directors Nurzahan Begum and Shahjahan.
Read: Case against Prof Yunus: Final hearing on scrapping case on Aug 11
According to the case, during a visit to Grameen Telecom office, inspectors of the department found that 101 workers who were supposed to be permanent were working as temporary staff.
No participation fund and welfare fund was formed for them and five percent of the company’s profit was not provided to the workers as per law.
Upon a complaint, a criminal case was filed under sections 4, 7, 8, 117, 234 of the Labour Act.
On October 12, the labour court granted bail to the all four accused.
Later on December 7, Prof Yunus filed a petition in the High Court seeking scrapping of the case.
On December 12, the HC stayed the procedure of the case for six months.
The court also issued a rule asking the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments as to why the case will not be set aside.
The court had asked secretaries of the Ministry of Law, Ministry of Labour and Employment and others involved to respond to the rule.
Prof Yunus launches partnership with World Football Summit
Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has recently launched a long-term partnership with one of the world’s largest business platforms in the football industry - the World Football Summit - to help solve human and environmental problems via the world’s most popular sport.
The World Football Summit regularly brings together the football industry’s leading stakeholders to spark discussion, generate knowledge and promote innovation to drive progress for the game and the industry.
The partnership will begin at the 2022 World Football Summit event on 28 and 29 September, in which Professor Yunus and the Yunus Sports Hub will participate in different activations, both before and during the summit.
Read: Case against Prof Yunus: Final hearing on scrapping case on Aug 11
Yunus, Founder of the Grameen Bank and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, has long advocated for the world’s most significant institutions to solve human and environmental problems.
As the pioneer of the global social business movement, Professor Yunus has spent the last 30 years working with social entrepreneurs all over the globe to build and grow enterprises that help others out of poverty and are not measured purely by profit.
Recognising the unique power of sport to galvanise the world, in 2018 Professor Yunus launched the Yunus Sports Hub; a social business itself. In 2021, he became only the second recipient of the Olympic Laurel, recognising his extensive work in sport for development with organisations including the International Olympic Committee and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee.
Prof Yunus Invited to Rome to discuss Theme for Expo 2030
Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has met Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri recently at the city hall Palazzo Senatorio on the Capitoline Hill.
The Mayor requested Muhammad Yunus to help the city in designing the concept of Expo 2030, said a media release on Saturday.
Rome is a bidding city, where the Republic of Korea, Italy, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Russia are bidding countries, it said.
Read: Economist Wahiduddin Mahmud criticizes proposed budget
Prof Yunus visited Rome at the invitation of Mayor of Rome who was previously the Minister of Economy and Finances and member of the European Parliament where he chaired the influential Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.
Former Italian diplomat, Guiseppe Scognamiglio, Director General of the Bid Committee Expo 2030 Roma was also present.
He emphasised the importance of the proposed theme and how it ties in with Rome’s history and future and then highlighted the city’s characteristics and its aims for the future.
Nicola Zingaretti, Governor of Lazio, met with Professor Yunus to discuss about his global campaign to have the Covid 19 Vaccine as a Global Common Good.
Read: Yunus for creating social business pharm companies to bring vaccines, medicines to common people
Zingaretti was one of the first signatories of the global campaign launched by Professor Yunus.
Governor Zingaretti expressed interest in hosting a Global Conference in Rome with all the 153 signatories of the global Appeal which included former heads of states and governments, Nobel Laureates and celebrities.
The main purpose of the conference would be to reignite the global efforts towards vaccine access. Yunus mentioned creating social business pharmaceutical companies would lead the way to bring end to vaccine apartheid.
Zingaretti highlighted a few examples his government has taken to bring healthcare to low income people.
Prof Yunus gets highest viewership in Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, says Yunus Centre
The highest number of TV viewers during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 was recorded when Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus delivered his “Three Zeros” speech, following his acceptance of the Olympic Laurel.
Yunus Centre in Dhaka shared the information on Monday quoting a Toshiba report published on Yahoo News Japan.
According to the report, Japanese TV viewers were listening to his speech on 47 per cent of all TV sets in Japan.
Also read: ‘Honoured and overwhelmed’: Dr Yunus after receiving Olympic Laurel
Toshiba's viewer monitoring was based on the sample size of 340,000 TV sets in Japan.
This programme calculates the audience rating every second.
According to it, the audience rating rose to 10 per cent of TV sets in the first 10 minutes of the opening ceremony broadcast.
The number of viewers continued to rise until it reached the peak during Prof. Yunus's speech.
At the time Japanese audience were watching the ceremony on 47 per cent of all TV sets in Japan.
The Yahoo News Japan report also says audience rating of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics was three times that of the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics.
Yuji Suzuki, a well-known Japanese journalist who specialises in analytics, reported on the size of audience during the opening ceremony in an article published on Yahoo News Japan on July 24.
Prof. Yunus, in his Olympic Laurel acceptance speech, urged all athletes to build a world of Three Zeros.
Also read: Prof Yunus renews call for ensuring vaccine equality breaking profit wall
He defined the Three Zeros as: Zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration to end poverty once and for all, and zero unemployment by unleashing the power of entrepreneurs in everyone.
If the whole world had the same percentage of tuning in to their television sets as in Japan (47%), that would mean 3.2 billion people all over the world were listening to his speech at the time.
When the march past of country delegations of athletes began after his speech the audience rating, however, began to decline sharply, according to Yunus Centre.
Athletes from more than 200 countries participated in the parade.
Prof Yunus renews call for ensuring vaccine equality breaking profit wall
Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus has reiterated call for ensuring vaccine equality around the world noting that all the people need to be safe breaking the wall of profit.
“We’re talking much to make the vaccine patent-free. We’re working to get the patent out of the vaccine because the vaccine is a wall of profit and the wall of profit makes it tough for people to get the vaccine,” said Prof Yunus.
He made the remarks when asked about what he expects from the international community to ensure vaccines for all in a recent media briefing mentioning that they have been working for more than a year to ensure vaccine equality around the world.
Prof Yunus is all set to receive the Olympic Laurel as only the second person in history when the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics takes place on Friday.
“Bangladesh will be so proud of this award because Bangladesh is a country that doesn’t get close to an Olympic medal. But they have a cause for a celebration now. The whole world will watch a Bangladeshi receiving an Olympic award which will make every single person of Bangladesh proud of it. I believe it’ll be something that Bangladesh will remember for long,” said Prof Yunus during a virtual press meet.
Read: Patent-free Covid-19 vaccines: Yunus’ petition gets 1 million signatures