Cases against Yunus: Deputy Attorney General refuses to sign AG office statement against world leaders’ concern

Deputy Attorney General Imran Ahmed Bhuiyan.

Deputy Attorney General Imran Ahmed Bhuiyan said today that he refrained from signing a statement, being prepared by the attorney general’s office, protesting the recent letter from global figures to the prime minister over trial proceedings against Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus.

“I support the statement issued by the Nobel Laureates and world leaders about the trial proceedings against Muhammad Yunus as I think that he is being harassed,” the deputy attorney general said.

The attorney general’s office is collecting signatures from the attorney general, additional attorney generals, deputy attorney generals and assistant attorney generals in order to issue a statement in protest against the statement, he said.

“I refrained from signing the statement to be prepared by the attorney general’s office.”

The DAG said he did not see the contents of the statement to be issued by the attorney general’s office yet.

A total of 104 Nobel Laureates and 79 other global figures in an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 28 expressed concern about the safety and freedom of Prof Yunus.

In the letter, they “respectfully asked” the PM to “immediately suspend the current judicial proceedings against Prof Yunus”.

Contacted, another Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik told The Daily Star that a statement is being prepared by the general lawyers in protest against the statement made by the global leaders in favour of Prof Yunus.

“Many lawyers, including the law officers under the Attorney general’s office, have signed it. Nobody is being compelled to sign the statement. I have signed it,” he added.