Bangladesh Court Issues Arrest Warrant Against Nobel Laureate

A labour court in Dhaka, Bangladesh issued an arrestwarrant against Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus as he failed to appear for ascheduled hearing over sacking of three employees of a company which he headsas its chairman.

Court Clerk Nuruzzaman told media that Dhaka 3^rdlabour court Chairman Rohibul Islam issued the warrant as Yunus failed toappear as the hearing was scheduled on Wednesday.

According to reports, Yunus was asked to appear along with Grameen Communications' managing director Naznin Sultana and deputy general manager Khandaker Abu Abedin over the sacking of three employees for forming a union at their workplace. Grameen Communications is IT wing of Grameen Bank and Muhammad Yunus is the chairman of the Grameen Communications.

According to a court official, through the two seniorofficials of the Grameen Communications appeared before the court, Yunus failedto turn up, following which the chairman of the court, Rohibul Islam, issuedthe arrest warrant against him.

The court granted bail to the two company officialswho appeared before it, the official said.

Reports say that three former employees of Grameen Communications have filed criminal cases against the company management after they were sacked in June for their role in the formation of trade unions at their workplace. The trio later filed three separate cases for transferring them as part of harassment, issuing threats and subsequently sacking for forming the trade union.