UAE President orders pardons for Bangladeshis involved in summer protests

Fifty-seven people will be deported after inciting demonstrations against the government in their home country

President Sheikh Mohamed spoke to Muhammad Yunus, who leads Bangladesh's new interim government, last week. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

President Sheikh Mohamed has ordered pardons for the Bangladeshi citizens involved in protests and disturbances across several emirates this summer.

The decision includes the cancellation of the sentences of those convicted, with arrangements to be made for their deportation, state news agency Wam reported.

Fifty-seven Bangladeshi residents were jailed in July for inciting protests against their government. Three were originally jailed for life by an Abu Dhabi court while 53 were jailed for 10 years each and another for 11 years for illegally entering the country to take part in the protests.

The enforcement of these sentences has now been halted by Attorney General Dr Hamad Al Shamsi, who has issued an order to commence deportation procedures.

Dr Al Shamsi called on all UAE residents to respect the country’s laws, stressing that the right to express opinions is protected by the state and its legal framework. The state ensures this right does not turn into actions that could harm the interests of the nation and its people, he added.

The protests followed weeks of turmoil in Bangladesh, during which at least 300 people died in clashes with security forces. The unrest led to the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India.

An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who spoke to Sheikh Mohamed by phone last week, has been established.

Mr Yunus thanked Sheikh Mohamed and said the cancellation of the sentences has been met with relief and appreciation among the Bangladeshi families involved.

“We express our full respect for the laws of the UAE and renew our commitment to brief and educate our nationals on local laws and culture of their host countries before their departure from Bangladesh,” he said.

Long-time Bangladeshi residents in the UAE spoke to The National last month, calling for peace in their home country. Bangladeshis in the Emirates, where hundreds of thousands reside, spoke of the need for a calm transition to democracy after years of single-party rule.

Community leaders said there was a need to keep the politics of their home country away from the streets of the Emirates.