A court in Bangladesh has sentenced the Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to six months in jail for violating the country’s labour laws.
Yunus has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
His supporters say the case is politically motivated.
The acclaimed economist and three colleagues from Grameen Telecom – one of the firms he founded – were found guilty of failing to create a welfare fund for their workers.
All four deny any wrongdoing and have been granted bail pending appeals.
“As my lawyers have convincingly argued in court, this verdict against me is contrary to all legal precedent and logic.
“I call for the Bangladeshi people to speak in one voice against injustice and in favour of democracy and human rights for every one of our citizens,” Yunus said in a statement released after the verdict.
The 83-year-old Yunus, known internationally as the “banker to the poor”, is credited with establishing a pioneering system of micro-finance loans helping to lift millions out of poverty.
Yunus and his Grameen Bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their pioneering work in 2006.
Discussing the verdict, one of his lawyers, Abdullah Al Mamun said “It was an unprecedented judgement. No due legal process was followed in the case and it was rushed through.”
Mamun added: “The whole idea is to damage his international reputation. We are appealing against this verdict.”
Yunus’s lawyers say he is facing more than 100 other charges over labour law violations and alleged graft.
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