Ex-CEO sues Robi over ‘wrongful dismissal’

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, former managing director and CEO of Robi Axiata Limited, has sued the mobile telecom company and its top former and current officials over his “wrongful dismissal”.

The case filed with the First Court of Joint District Judge, Dhaka on Monday seeks a Tk 2.27 billion compensation.

Robi, when contacted by bdnews, declined to comment on the issue.

Mahtab’s counsel Hassan MS Azim, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the suit.

He accused the company, former group CEO Izzaddin Idris, current Chairman Thayaparan S Sangara Pillai, and two others of sacking him with retrospective effect after his resignation to fulfil their “personal vendetta”.

The dismissal of Mahtab also aimed to “deprive him of his retirement benefits”, the statement said.

It said Mahtab continued to “have challenges in dealing with Idris since he became Robi Board Chairman without any Telco or MNC experience and later GCEO”.

Mahtab's “long pending salary dispute got further aggravated by GCEO’s biased role in Edotco-related disputes with Robi”.

Lawyer Azim alleged Idris threatened Mahtab in writing with “consequences” multiple times.

The statement claimed Mahtab tendered his resignation notice to Robi on Aug 2, 2021, effective from Oct 31, 2021. The company’s board of directors accepted the resignation notice through a letter dated Aug 5, 2021.

Subsequently, Robi started a departmental proceeding by asking Mahtab on Oct 7, 2021 to explain accounting transactions which had taken place in 2019, according to the statement. Axiata Group and the Robi board were aware of the transactions, it claimed.

The dismissal of Mahtab in May 2022 was “done by a vested quarter with an ulterior motive and it was based on certain allegations which are absolutely false and baseless”, the lawyer said in the statement.

The Financial Statements of 2021, prepared by the Robi Management and audited by Hoda Vasi Chowdhury & Co, an external independent audit firm, also found the allegations false, the statement said.

It also said during the process of domestic inquiry, two of the independent directors of Robi board, who also happened to be the chairman and member of the inquiry committee, resigned “prematurely and suspiciously”. They were replaced by current Chairman Pillai in January 2022.

A formal complaint against Pillai was filed with the Axiata and Robi board members in October 2021 for his “biased role in the whole conspiracy along with the GCEO”.

Robi said it would not comment on the suit because it was not formally informed about it.

Mahtab was Robi’s first Bangladeshi CEO. During his tenure, Robi expanded into 4G and also made the biggest IPO in a decade.

Hours after his lawyer issued the statement, Mahtab took to Facebook to say: “No amount of money can compensate for this injustice.”

He said he decided to break the silence because his Robi team, family and wellwishers “deserve to know the truth behind the events that have unfolded behind closed doors”.

Mahtab reiterated Idris had threatened him with consequences via email after he had refused a contract offer.

“The GCEO had continued to harass me even after my departure, constantly attempting to ‘frame’ me with no luck.”

“Imagine your executive career of 31 years destroyed by a corporate vendetta - you are not given your agreed contractual bonuses, shares & retirement benefits - instead, your reputation is tarnished & defamed by the rumours that swirl in our corporate world.”

On August 5, 2021, when he quit the job, Robi on its website wrote, "Following a very successful stint as Robi’s Managing Director and CEO for five illustrious years, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed has decided not to renew his contract. His term with Robi will officially come to an end on 31 October 2021, but he has decided to go on leave with immediate effect."