Dr Yunus didn't pay workers' dues, rather tried to bribe them: Information Minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said Dr Yunus was sued for not paying workers' dues, which he and Grameen Telecom tried to 'manage' by paying bribes.

The minister came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after unveiling the cover of a book titled 'Sharanarthir Jabanbandi 1971' written by Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) researcher Popy Devi Thapa at the conference room of the ministry.

Earlier, a Dhaka court on Monday sentenced Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months' jail, with fine of Tk 25000 each, in a case over violations of the labour law.

The information minister said many Nobel laureates across the world have been punished for criminal and civil offences and many have been imprisoned for many days. There are also cases of joint Nobel Prize winners suing each other.

"And with due respect to Dr Muhammad Yunus, I want to say that Dr Yunus did not pay the dues of the workers for many years. Later, when the workers went to court, his company asked two labour leaders to manage this by bribing them Tk 3 crore each," he added.

Replying to a question about BNP's letter to the United Nations against the election, Hasan Mahmud said, "The BNP has lost its senses. They thought that there will be no election in the country and people's participation will not be there even if the election is held."

"Now they have realised that a festive atmosphere has been created with the participation of the people, in which BNP supporters have also joined," he added.

The minister said, "Whoever they are writing letters to has also accepted this election, sent observers and they are saying that the election should be free from violence.

"The BNP has written many letters against the country. This letter will not be of any use," the minister said.