UAE president pardons Bangladeshi citizens imprisoned for protesting

UAE Pardons 57 Bangladeshi Nationals Imprisoned for Protesting

DUBAI, Sept 3:- The United Arab Emirates has pardoned 57 Bangladeshi nationals convicted and sentenced to long prison terms for staging a rare protest in the Gulf nation against the South Asian nation, state media reported.
WAM reported Tuesday that President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s decision overturns the convicts’ sentences and those pardoned will be deported from the UAE.

In July, the Abu Dhabi Federal Court sentenced 57 Bangladeshi citizens in a speedy trial for protesting against then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government amid protests in Bangladesh.

Three Bangladeshi nationals were sentenced to life imprisonment and 53 others to 10 years in prison. A Bangladeshi man who state media said “participated in riots” after illegally entering the United Arab Emirates was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

The Public Prosecution alleged that the Bangladeshi nationals “gathered in a public place and fought against their own government with intent to incite unrest”.

Sheikh Mohammed’s pardon came less than a week after UAE state media reported that the president had congratulated Mohammad Yunus on his inauguration as Bangladesh’s interim president after former Prime Minister Hasina was forced to flee the country following violent protests.

Bangladeshi nationals are one of the largest communities in the UAE, a country of around 10 million people, where the majority are expatriates. Emiratis account for about 10%. Many Bangladeshis in the UAE work in low-wage blue-collar jobs and send remittances to support their families.

The hereditary rulers of the UAE tolerate little dissent. Freedom of expression is restricted and groups such as political parties and trade unions are illegal. Resistances are rare.