The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has upheld a High Court verdict that quashed proceedings in a defamation case filed against Nobel Laureate and current Chief Adviser to the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus.
On Sunday, a three-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, rejected the state’s leave-to-appeal petition challenging the High Court`s decision.
The defamation case was filed in 2010 over a public statement made by Professor Yunus during his tenure as the Managing Director of Grameen Bank. In 2011, he petitioned the High Court to annul the case. The High Court ruled in his favor on October 24, 2023, dismissing the proceedings.
Following the release of the full judgment, the state filed a leave-to-appeal, which was initially heard by the chamber court on July 2 and later scheduled for a full hearing before the Appellate Division on July 27.
Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque represented the state, while Advocate-on-Record Tawfique Hossain appeared on behalf of Dr. Yunus.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Aneek R Haque confirmed that the Appellate Division has dismissed the state’s appeal.
