The conviction of Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus and three colleagues is an abuse of the justice system, which represents a form of political retaliation, says Amnesty International.

“The conviction of Yunus is emblematic of the beleaguered state of human rights in Bangladesh, where the authorities have eroded freedoms and bulldozed critics into submission,” said the human rights organisation in a statement published on its ‘X’ (former Twitter) handle on Monday.

A Dhaka Labour Court on Monday convicted Dr Mohammad Yunus and three of his colleagues under the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 and sentenced them to six months’ imprisonment.

In the statement, Amnesty stated that the unusual speed at which the trial against Mohammad Yunus was completed stands in stark contrast to the snail-paced progress in other labour rights-related court cases in Bangladesh.

The abuse of labour laws and misuse of the justice system to settle political vendettas is a violation of international human rights law, read the statement.

Amnesty International said that it believes the allegation against Mohammad Yunus and his colleagues belongs to the civil and administrative arena.

But initiating criminal proceedings is a 'blatant abuse' of labour laws and the justice system and a form of 'political retaliation' for his work and dissent,” Amnesty said in the statement.

BDST: 1635 HRS, JAN 02, 2024
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