In Bangladesh, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has just been sentenced to six months in prison for violating certain labor law rules. Accusations denied by this economist, recognized for having deployed microcredit solutions in this emerging country. The economist has faced numerous accusations for more than a decade, seen by many as a form of political harassment against someone who criticized the government.
1 min
with our regional correspondent, Sébastien Farcis
Muhammad Yunus was found guilty of failing to permanently hire 67 employees of the company he manages, Grameen Telecom, and of failing to provide several employee benefits. He was therefore sentenced to six months in prison with three of the company’s directors, but all were able to obtain bail and appeal.
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This is just one of hundreds of accusations leveled by authorities against the renowned economist: the problems began for him after he considered entering politics in 2007 and openly criticized the government . Since then, Muhammad Yunus has been prosecuted for defamation, corruption and fraud and was removed in 2011 from the management of his microfinance bankthe Grameen bank, by the Supreme Court.
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More than a hundred Nobel Prize winners recently wrote to the Prime Minister to ask her to put an end to this political harassment, but this has had no effect. Sheikh Hasina should be reappointed on Sunday January 7 for a 4th consecutive term at the head of Bangladesh, after the main opposition party, cornered by the arrest of its leaders, decided to boycott these legislative elections.
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