A Dhaka court on Wednesday framed charges against 14 people, including Grameen Telecom founder and Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, in a case filed over the embezzlement of around Tk25 crore from dividends for the company’s employees.
Judge Syed Arafat Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 rejected a plea for the dismissal of charges by the accused and ordered the indictment, before setting July 15 for the commencement of the trial.
The other accused in this case are Grameen Telecom Managing Director Md Nazmul Islam, Director and former managing director Md Ashraful Hassan, directors Parveen Mahmud, Nazneen Sultana, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee, lawyers Md Yusuf Ali and Zafrul Hasan Sharif, Grameen Telecom Sramik-Karmachari Union President Md Kamruzzaman, General Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan, Representative Md Mainul Islam and Office Secretary Md Kamrul Hasan.
After the judge read out the charges, all the accused present at the dock pleaded not guilty and demanded justice.
Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun, lawyer for Dr Yunus, claimed that the case was politically motivated. He added that the charges against his client lacked legal merit and emphasized the intention of the defence team to challenge the framing of charges in the High Court.
On the other hand, ACC Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol said the charges included Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a minimum of 10 years.
In addition, if the money laundering charges are proven, the accused could face a sentence ranging from a minimum of four years to a maximum of 12 years. Furthermore, other sections of the law also entail potential penalties
On April 2, another court took the charges into cognisance and ordered the Special Judge’s Court-4 on the carrying out of future proceedings.
On February 1, ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anowar Pradhan pressed charges against them in the case. The charge sheet mentions the misappropriation of Tk25,22 crore.
The case was filed with the ACC’s Dhaka Integrated District Office-1 on May 30 last year.
Why an iron cage?
Dr Yunus on Wednesday questioned the rationale behind forcing a citizen of a civilized country to stand in an iron cage during court proceedings.
Speaking to reporters after leaving the court, he asked: “When the trial has not even started and there is no chance of one’s being convicted yet, why should an innocent citizen have to stay in a cage?”
Dr Yunus said: “There has been a lot of harassment. I was in the iron cage all day today. Is this fair? Any accused person—against whom a case has been filed—is taken to the cage… As far as I know, the accused is innocent until proven guilty. It is humiliating for an innocent citizen to have to stand in an iron cage while the court is in session.”
He said: “It’s not just about my case; it shouldn’t apply to anyone. Raise your voice in the media about this issue. Let the matter be reviewed. I am raising this question before legal experts and those involved in the judicial system—review whether this is necessary.”
On January 23, a writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking its directives to remove iron cages from courtrooms.
On June 7, the High Court also questioned the legality of a rule that allows the authorities concerned to install metal cages where accused persons stand during case proceedings in courtrooms across the country.
Rule 82 of the Criminal Rules and Orders (Practice and Procedure of Subordinate Courts), 2009 has laid out the provision of establishing metal cages for the accused in every court so that no prisoner can make an escape from the court.
The High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain why the provisions of Rule 82 of Criminal Rules and Orders should not be declared contradictory to Article 35(5) of the constitution as “inhuman and degrading