Jakarta –
A total of 170 world leaders and Nobel laureates signed a petition demanding that the Bangladesh government stop the legal process against Muhammad Yunus. For the last few years, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner has been facing various legal charges.
Signatories include former US President Barack Obama, former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and more than 100 Nobel laureates. They voiced concerns about the future of democracy and human rights in Bangladesh.
“One threat to human rights that concerns us in the current context is the case of Professor Muhammad Yunus. We are concerned that he has recently become the target of what we call ongoing judicial bullying,” they wrote in their letter.
A similar warning came from UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, who believed Yusuf had been the victim of “intimidation and bullying for almost a decade,” she said in a press statement.
However, this accusation was denied by the Minister of Justice of Bangladesh, Anisul Huq. He told DW that the international response was foreign interference into Bangladesh’s legal system.
The wave of allegations is endless
The quarrel between Bangladesh Prime Minister Shekih Hasina and Yunus began when he came to power in 2009. At that time, he accused the Grameen Bank founded by Yunus of using violence to collect debts from poor village women.
As a result, since 2011 the government began examining the bank’s activities and forced Yunus’ dismissal because he was deemed to have violated the retirement age limit.
In 2013, Yunus was charged with receiving money without government permission, including money from the Nobel prize and royalties from his published books.
He also faces charges of corruption and labor rights violations at a number of other companies he owns.
“In total, there are 198 allegations that have so far been presented to Professor Yunus,” said his legal representative, Abdullah Al Mamun.
Why did Hasina target Yunus?
Some political observers in Bangladesh believe that Hasina felt betrayed when Yunus announced he would establish a political party in 2007. However, Yunus abandoned the plan shortly after and has since stayed away from the practical political arena.
“PM Hasina still seems to believe that Yunus is responsible for all the international problems she faces, including the World Bank’s decision to revoke the credit agreement and world pressure for free and fair elections,” said Asif Nazrul, Professor of Constitutional Law at Dhaka University.
“But we don’t know why he thought that,” he added.
According to Yunus’ lawyer, Al Mamun, the lawsuit is an attempt to damage Yunus’ image as an innovator on social issues. “There is no reason to file criminal charges against him,” he said.
Various human rights organizations accused Sheikh Hasina of using legal and security forces to silence opposition voices. It is claimed that this authoritarian style has been widespread since he came to power 14 years ago.
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Also watch the video ‘Ship Sinks in Buriganga River Bangladesh, 4 People Died’:
(ita/ita)
2023-09-11 04:26:05
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