Grameen Telecom: Investigation Report of money embezzlement case delayed again

The date of submission of the investigation report in the case filed against two top leaders of Grameen Telecom's Sramik-Karmachari union on charges of misappropriation of funds in the second round has been adjourned. The court has fixed November 22 as the date for submitting the report. Thursday (October 20) was the date of filing the investigation report of this case in the court. However, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shafi Uddin set a new date as the Investigating Officer of the case could not submit the report. Earlier, on Thursday, September 15, the Investigation Report of the case was scheduled to be submitted to the court. Dhaka's Metropolitan Magistrate Devdas Chandra Adhikari fixed the report submission date on October 20. It may be noted that, on July 4, a case was filed against Grameen Telecom's Sramik-Karmachari Union President Kamruzzaman and General Secretary Feroz Mahmud on charges of embezzlement. The case was filed at Mirpur Model Police Station in the capital by Grameen Telecom employee and Finance Secretary of Telecom Union Mohammad Aktaruzzaman. The next day, Kamruzzaman and Feroz were arrested from Segunbagicha in the capital. After seven days of remand, the accused gave a confessional statement. It is said in the complaint of the case that the employees employed at different times in Grameen Telecom are continuously renewed on contractual basis without making them permanent. According to the Labor Act-2006, 5 percent of the annual dividend is supposed to be given to Workers' Profit Participation Fund, Sramik Kalyan Fund and Sramik Kalyan Foundation, but the company refrains from giving dividends to the workers saying that 'employees are not permanent' and 'the company is unprofitable'. The complaint also states that 99 workers were simultaneously retrenched from Grameen Telecom on October 25, 2020. Workers and labor unions have filed various claims against Grameen Telecom in the Labor Court and High Court for claims regarding regularization of workers and payment of dividends, illegal retrenchment of workers in the company, contempt of court for non-payment of duties even after reinstatement as per court order, termination of the company and other claims. About 190 cases and writ petitions were filed in this connection.