Bangladeshi Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus receives prison sentence

A Nobel laureate in Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, has been sentenced to six months in jail for violating the country's labour laws. Yunus is a well-known critic of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and his supporters argue that the case against him is politically motivated. Along with three colleagues from Grameen Telecom, one of the firms he founded, Yunus was found guilty of not creating a welfare fund for their workers. However, all four deny any wrongdoing and have been granted bail while awaiting appeals. Yunus has released a statement describing the verdict as contrary to legal precedent and logic and is calling on the Bangladeshi people to speak out against injustice. Known internationally as the "banker to the poor," Yunus and Grameen Bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for their work in micro-finance loans that helped lift millions out of poverty. Yunus is also facing over 100 other charges related to labor law violations and alleged graft. Amnesty International's former head, Irene Khan, who now serves as a UN special rapporteur, labeled the conviction a "travesty of justice." Over 170 global figures, including Hillary Clinton, Richard Branson, and Bono, signed a letter demanding an end to the "persecution" of Yunus. Prime Minister Hasina has expressed a willingness to allow international experts to assess the ongoing legal proceedings against Yunus, but the reasons for the friction between them remain unclear, although some believe it is an attempt by the government to discredit Yunus due to his previous consideration of setting up a political rival to the Awami League, the governing party.