The United States has said that it is closely monitoring the developments in the case against Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.

‘We will continue to encourage the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for Yunus as the appeals process continues,’ said Mathew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, during a regular briefing on Tuesday.

Miller expressed concerns that these cases might represent a ‘misuse’ of Bangladesh’s labor laws to ‘harass and intimidate’ Yunus.

‘We also worry that the perceived misuse of labor and anti-corruption laws could raise questions about the rule of law and dissuade foreign direct investment,’ he added.

The government of Bangladesh has maintained that it is not a party to the case involving Muhammad Yunus and emphasised the independence and transparency of its judicial process.

‘With due respect to Yunus, I would like to say that the judicial process of Bangladesh is transparent. That’s why many members of the ruling party face trials and even jail sentences,’ foreign minister Hasan Mahmud told journalists recently.