'Had to be presented in iron cage for the first time; it is very humiliating': Yunus
Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus expressed his disappointment at being presented in an iron cage in the court during the hearing on charge framing in a graft case.
He also dubbed the use of iron cage in presenting accused individuals to courts as "very humiliating".
"Today, I had to stand in an iron cage and the witness box of the court for the first time. It is just a part of a cursed life," he told the media after attending the hearing on Sunday (2 June).
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He said, "Being removed from the Grameen Bank feels like a curse, one from which there is no escape. It is like a series of relentless curses [that followed]… Putting someone in an iron cage to be presented in court is profoundly humiliating and these cages must be removed."
He went on to say, "Two Nobel Prizes have been bestowed — one in my name and another in the name of Grameen Bank. Both carry equal significance. There is no precedent in world history for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecuting one Nobel laureate against another."
Recently, the Grameen Bank authorities applied to the Anti-Corruption Commission to inquire into Dr Muhammad Yunus, accusing him of illegally giving a loan of Tk9.5 crore to the family-owned company Packages Corporation.
Dr Yunus said, "The ACC has launched severe allegations in this case of money embezzlement and smuggling, using language that lacks basis and truth. The allegations targeting my father, brothers, and sisters caused immense pain, which I find utterly unacceptable."
Dr Yunus' lawyer Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun said today's hearing focused on the withdrawal and formulation of the charges.
He emphasised the necessity of specifying the exact amount of money in the complaint.
The lawyer pointed out discrepancies, noting that the figure mentioned fluctuated between Tk26 and Tk25 crores at different instances.
"The home minister didn't even know whether former IGP Benazir had fled. PK Halder was released with money. S Alam was released with lakhs of crores of taka. Benazir, Aziz, PK Halder, S Alam, all these criminals were let go without any action. It is clear that Dr Yunus is being personally targeted and insulted," he added.
