Twelve members of the United States Senate have penned a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, urging her to cease the harassment of Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus. This appeal was conveyed through a letter addressed to the PM on Monday.

In response to a question on Tuesday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud, stated that the government refrains from interfering with the court. Consequently, the Prime Minister or the government cannot step outside the legal proceedings of this trial process.

The senators are Majority Whip and Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin, Todd Young, Tim Kaine, Dan Sullivan, Jeffrey A Merkley, Edward J Markey, Jeanne Shaheen, Peter Welch, Sherrod Brown, Sheldon Whitehouse, Ron Wyden, and Cory A Booker. 

The letter, jointly signed by the Senators, called for an immediate cessation of widespread abuses within the judiciary that specifically target critics of the government.

It stated that at least 150 unproven cases were filed against Dr Yunus in Bangladesh for at least a decade. The content of the letter was published on Dick Durbin's official website.

The letter highlighted that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and human rights organisations such as Amnesty International have observed irregularities in the legal proceedings against him. This includes the recent six-month prison sentence on charges of allegedly violating the country's labour laws, a decision that is currently under appeal.

They pointed out that reputable organisations argue that the speed and repeated use of criminal proceedings are indicative of politically motivated judicial abuses. Sustained harassment of Yunus reflects what many Bangladeshi civil society members also face in an increasingly restrictive environment.

In 2013, the United States Congress honoured him with the Congressional Gold Medal, acknowledging his groundbreaking contributions to the global fight against poverty.

The letter stated, "The United States values its longstanding relationship with Bangladesh, which includes close bilateral and multilateral coordination on numerous common interests. Ending the harassment of Professor Yunus and others exercising their freedom of speech to criticise the government will help continue this important relationship."

Dick Durbin persists in advocating for individuals in other countries where democracy is obstructed, and freedom of expression is curtailed. Recently, he urged for the release of political prisoners from Russia, Belarus, Algeria, Cambodia, and Guatemala during a Senate session.

The letter also stated that Dr Muhammad Yunus' pioneering work on microfinance offered more significant economic promise for many Bangladeshis and millions of impoverished people worldwide. In 2013, the United States Congress awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions to the fight against global poverty. Ongoing political vendettas should not undermine such efforts, especially in a democratic nation of laws.

Meanwhile, during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud stated that the government refrains from intervening in the judicial processes of the court. He asserted that the US Senators, by writing letters about Yunus, are attempting to influence the court, and he emphasised that the government is not the plaintiff in the court case against Yunus. Those who claim to have been deprived of their civil rights by him are the ones who have filed this case. The Prime Minister and the government have no involvement in this matter.