Dhaka, September 2: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on Monday adjourned till October 21 the hearing of a "leave to appeal" petition that challenged a High Court order which upheld indictment against Chief Adviser to the caretaker government, Professor Muhammad Yunus along with six officials of Grameen Telecom in a corruption case.
Professor Yunus and six other officials of the Grameen Telecom had on August 25 filed the "leave to appeal petition" with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, which challenged the High Court order.
Managing Director Nazmul Islam, and Directors Ashraful Hassan, Naznin Sultana, Md Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, and SM Huzzatul Islam Latifee are the six Grameen Telecom officials against whom the indictment was upheald along with Muhammad Yunus.
On Monday, Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmeda led a full bench of the Appellate Division which passed the order after holding hearing on the arguments from Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman. Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun represented the petitioners.
Court Instructs Lawyer For Petitioners
The court instructed the lawyer for the petitioners to move the leave to appeal petition on October 21. The court also told the lawyer of petitioners to move it on additional grounds.
Graft Case Against Professor Yunus
The Anti-Corruption Commission on May 30, 2023, filed the graft case against Prof Yunus and 13 others on the charge of misappropriating funds to the tune of around Tk 25.22 crore of Grameen Telecom Workers' Profit Participation Fund. Case was also filed under the money laundering charges.
The High Court on July 24 rejected a petition filed by Professor Yunus and six others challenging the Dhaka court's order that framed charges against them in the corruption case.
The High Court also ordered the lower court to finish the proceedings of the corruption case in next one year. Earlier on June 12 this year, a Dhaka court framed charges against Muhammad Yunus and 13 others in the case.
