Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed grave concern on Thursday over the siege that has been ongoing since Monday, with intruders having occupied eight of the 16 establishments at Grameen Telecom Bhaban.
Drawing attention to the issue at a press conference held on the ground floor of Grameen Telecom Bhaban in Mirpur, Prof Yunus voiced his apprehensions regarding the future of these welfare-oriented organizations, including Grameen Kalyan.
Flanked by the managing directors of Grameen Kalyan and Grameen Telecom, as well as other senior officials, Prof Yunus highlighted the dire situation faced by the staff members of the building, who have endured four days of insecurity.
He said that despite repeated pleas, the local police station did not even accept their case. Now his legal team would be compelled to seek redress through the court.
He said some 22 people, including some retired armed forces officials, first forcibly entered the Grameen Telecom Bhaban premises on Monday afternoon. Subsequently, they proceeded to lock many of the offices within the building, claiming affiliation with Grameen Bank.
Prof Yunus expressed his dismay at the complete lack of cooperation from the Shah Ali police station.
When asked whether he suspected government involvement in the harassment, Prof Yunus said the people of the country understand everything and will know what is happening to and about all these good institutions housed at the Grameen Telecom Bhaban.
Prof Yunus, who also serves as chairman of Grameen Kalyan, which offers healthcare services, said: "We find ourselves in a dreadful situation. Despite our office rooms being forcibly locked by outsiders, the authorities are inactive."
He further questioned the motives behind a procession held in front of Grameen Telecom Bhaban that morning. "This morning (Thursday), some people staged a broom procession in front of the Grameen Telecom Bhaban. But why?"
He said: “If there is any dispute, it should be resolved through lawful means. Forcible occupation cannot be a way to settle scores."
AKM Moinuddin Chowdhury, managing director of Grameen Kalyan, recounted Monday’s incident where a group, including a retired army official, barged into their office and presented a letter regarding the appointment of a new chairman and three directors.
Moinuddin Chowdhury said he recognized Col (Retd) Jahangir from his military days and asked him why they had entered forcibly and why they were refusing to allow the staff to go home at the end of office hours.
He alleged that the intruders created a hostile environment and resorted to verbal abuse when their finance official declined to comply with their demand to bring food from outside.
Md Nazmul Islam, managing director of Grameen Telecom, revealed that the intruders, claiming association with Grameen Bank, cited a 1995 Act to justify their actions, suggesting the bank's authority to change Grameen Kalyan's leadership.
However, Nazmul Islam clarified that this claim was inaccurate, as the relevant rule was amended in 2009 and Grameen Kalyan operates independently.
“Moreover, there can always be some discussions on such issues. One can't simply occupy our offices by force," he said.
Professor Yunus also said that Grameen Bank has no jurisdiction to interfere in the affairs of Grameen Telecom.
Legal issues
Following the press conference in the morning, a press release was issued in this regard, signed by Nazmul Islam and Moinuddin Chowdhury.
The statement clarified the chain of events that took place on Monday night.
On that night, a representative of Grameen Bank arrived with a total of seven office orders, all signed by AKM Saiful Majid, chairman of Grameen Bank.
Subsequently, upon delivering the office orders, he proceeded to lock the offices of both Grameen Telecom and Grameen Kalyan, departing with the keys thereafter.
Among these orders, four were designated for Grameen Telecom. Three people, Mohammad Jim Zobair, consultant at Masood Akhtar and Associate, Dr AKM Golam Rabbani, professor of History and Culture of Islam at the University of Dhaka, and Md Golam Zakaria Rahman, senior principal officer at Grameen Bank, were nominated as directors of Grameen Telecom effective from Monday.
Additionally, AKM Saiful Majid nominated himself as chairman of the Board of Directors of Grameen Telecom in another office order.
Similarly, three other office orders were handed over to Grameen Kalyan. In two of these orders, Mohammad Jim Zobair, consultant at Masood Akhtar and Associates, and Noor Mohammad, managing director at Grameen Bank, were nominated as directors of Grameen Kalyan effective from Monday. AKM Saiful Majid nominated himself as chairman of the Board of Directors of Grameen Kalyan in another office order.
It is notable that the office orders initially lacked reference numbers. However, on the following day, when they were re-sent, handwritten reference numbers were included in each of them.