Should we feel proud or guilty: Dr Yunus after getting bail upon surrender in graft case

Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus has said he is at a crossroads about whether he should feel proud of getting bail in the Grameen Telecom embezzlement case or feel guilty over the situation.

"It's recorded. It will be a part of the nation. Should we feel proud or guilty about it? Those who have worked for this organisation all their life had also been accused in the case," he said after a Dhaka court granted him and seven others bail upon surrender before the court in a case filed over embezzling around Tk25 crore from dividends reserved for Grameen Telecom workers. 

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Dr Yunus said, "This is a historic day. Remember this day. Collect today's picture today. This is important. Because laws are made for the welfare of people. As law keeps people at peace, it also creates fear and apprehension. In which direction we take the law depends on society's will."

He further said, "Consider this, the Anti-Corruption Commission sat in a trial today – whether it was done for the right reasons or not, whether it was done properly or not. On this day, a Nobel laureate had to stand in court.

"Keep a picture of this day. It will be a historical picture of the Anti-Corruption Commission... It will be published in various newspapers. It will also be published in various books over the ages. You have witnessed history," he added.

The Dhaka court, however, has not disclosed the duration of the bail yet.

The Labour Appellate Tribunal fixed 16 April as the next hearing date in the case.

Along with Dr Yunus, seven others who were granted bail are - Grameen Telecom Managing Director Nazmul Islam, directors Ashraful Hasan, Naznin Sultana, Parvin Mahmud, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum and SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee.

Earlier, on 1 February, the investigating officer of the case, Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar filed a charge sheet against 14 people, including Dr Muhammad Yunus, to Judge Md Asaduzzaman of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court.

Today was scheduled for a hearing on the chargesheet of the case, further details about the hearing regarding the other accused could not be obtained yet.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) placed before a Dhaka court the chargesheet against Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and 14 others over the embezzlement of around Tk25 crore from dividends reserved for Grameen Telecom workers.

According to the case statement, a decision was made at the company's 108th board meeting, presided over by Dr Yunus, on 9 May 2022 to open a bank account at the Gulshan branch of Dhaka Bank. However, it was found that the account was already opened a day before the meeting.

Over Tk26 crore was transferred to the account on different occasions, as per "fake settlement agreements" and the board's decision.

However, before distributing the shares of the company's profit to the workers and informing them, the accused embezzled about Tk25 crore from the fund in collusion with each other.