Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus Receives 6-Month Jail Sentence in Bangladesh Labor Case
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sentenced to six months in jail by a Bangladeshi court for labor law violations related to a welfare fund for workers at Grameen Telecom. Yunus and his colleagues, who have been granted bail pending appeals, deny the charges, claiming the case is politically motivated. The 83-year-old "banker to the poor" and his Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for their micro-finance work. Yunus faces over 100 other charges, and international figures have called for an end to his "persecution." Prime Minister Hasina's government has been accused of trying to discredit Yunus, potentially due to his past consideration of entering politics.