Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said the labourers sued Dr Yunus as he didn’t pay dues of the workers.

The minister told reporters while replying to a query at his secretariat office after unwrapping the cover of the book ‘Shoronarthir Jobanbandi 1971’ authored by Popy Debi Thapa, a researcher of Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB).

PIB director general Zafar Wazed, among others, addressed the programme.

It is mentionable that a labour court on Monday, January 1st, convicted and sentenced Grameen Telecom Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three others to six-month jail each in a case filed against them for violating labour law.

The court fined them Taka 5,000 each or to suffer 10-day jail in default under a section of the Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006. It also fined them Taka 25,000 each or to suffer 15-day behind bars in default.

“Many Nobel laureates of the world were convicted of criminal and civil offences and many of them have been served in jail for long,” Dr Hasan said.

“With due respect to Dr Muhammad Yunus, I would like to say that he didn’t pay the dues of the workers for long. Later, the labourers went to court. His organization tried to manage two labour leaders by giving bribe of Taka 6 crore,” he noted.

The minister said, “Many countries and individuals even the friendly countries talk about the rights of labour. They talk about giving the dues of garment workers. I hope they will talk about this issue also.”

Dr Hasan said BNP leaders have lost their sense. They thought that the election would not be held. But now they are realizing that a festive mood is prevailing centering the forthcoming election.

He said BNP’s supporters are also joining the festivity. BNP tried to foil the polls through arson attacks and killing people alive, but they have failed, he said.

Now, the information minister said, BNP leaders are writing to foreigners to stop the poll which they did earlier too. Many arsonists were arrested while the law enforcers arrested those culprits who cut off the train line; he said adding that the arrestees have revealed the name of the mastermind of the subversive activities.

The minister congratulated the author of the book.