SC ratifies HC dismissal of 5 labor cases against Yunus

The Appellate Division has upheld the High Court’s decision to dismiss five employment law-related cases against Senior Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus.

A three-judge bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, delivered the ruling, rejecting the state’s appeal for permission to challenge the High Court verdict.

During the court proceedings, Additional Attorney General Mohammad Anik Rushd Haque represented the State, while Mustafizur Rahman Khan represented Yunus.

The Appellate Division’s full order says there were no legal flaws in the Superior Court ruling or order. As a result, the court found no need for any legal issues in the decision, leading to its dismissal of the state’s permission to appeal.

Five labor court cases were filed against Yunus in 2019, alleging wrongful dismissal related to the formation of a proposed union during his tenure as president of Grameen Telecommunications.

In 2020, Professor Yunus asked the High Court to cancel the cases, and the High Court issued a rule to this effect.

Following the final hearing, the High Court delivered its verdict on October 24, 2024, quashing the proceedings in all five cases.

The state subsequently sought permission to appeal the decision, but the Supreme Court dismissed the application for leave to appeal on 8 December.

Senior advocate Mustafizur Rahman Khan said: “The Appellate Division has issued its full order, dismissing the state’s permission to appeal against the High Court ruling.

“As a result, Professor Yunus and the relevant officials of Grameen Telecommunications at the time have been exonerated from the cases, and the legal proceedings against them will no longer have any effect.”