Deputy Attorney General Imran Ahmed Bhuiyan yesterday said he refrained from signing a statement, 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 have decided not to sign the statement as I support the letter issued by the Nobel laureates and world leaders about the trial proceedings against Muhammad Yunus. I think Dr Yunus is an honourable person. His prestige is being damaged and he is being subjected to judicial harassment," Imran told reporters at a briefing on the Supreme Court premises.

Contacted, Imran told The Daily Star that the attorney general's office was getting a statement, protesting the letter issued by many Nobel laureates and other global figures, signed by the attorney general, additional attorneys general, deputy attorneys general and assistant attorneys general.

The DAG, however, said he did not see the contents of the statement.

DAG AKM Amin Uddin Manik told this correspondent, "Many lawyers including the law officers under the attorney general's office have signed it. Nobody is being compelled to sign. I have signed the statement."

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 asked the PM to "immediately suspend the current judicial proceedings against Prof Yunus".

On September 9, 2021, Labour Inspector (general) SM Arifuzzaman of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments filed a labour law violation case against four people, including Prof Yunus, with the Third Labour Court of Dhaka.

According to the case documents, officials of the department on August 16, 2021, inspected the office of Grameen Telecom in the capital's Mirpur and found several violations of labour laws.

On June 6 this year, the court framed charges against the accused. The trial began on August 22.

On May 30, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against Grameen Telecom Chairman Muhammad Yunus and 12 others for misappropriating about Tk 25 crore of the Grameen Telecom's Workers Profit Participation Fund.

ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anowar Prodhan filed the case with its integrated district office.