Bangladesh court sentences Nobel laureate Yunus to 6 months in jail for violating labor laws

By JULHAS ALAM
Associated Press

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A labor court in Bangladesh’s capital sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to six months in jail for violating the country’s labor laws. Yunus, who pioneered using microcredit to help impoverished people, was present in court and was granted bail. The court gave the defense 30 days to appeal.  Grameen Telecom, which he founded as a non-profit, is at the center of the trial. The head of the Third Labor Court of Dhaka on Monday found Yunus, as chairman of the company, and three other company directors guilty of the charges. His supporters believe the charges were filed to harass him amid a wider complex political context and frosty relations with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh’s governmnet has denied the allegations.