Staff Reporter :
The first batch of 14 Bangladeshi migrant workers, out of 57 who were jailed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for staging a demonstration in support of the student movement in Bangladesh, returned home on Saturday night after being released.
According to the Chief Adviser’s Office, the workers were expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm on Saturday.
The UAE Federal Court had jailed a total of 57 Bangladeshi workers for staging demonstrations in the streets on July 19 in support of the student-led mass uprising against the Sheikh Hasina regime. Following the toppling of Sheikh Hasina on August 5, an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus was formed.
After the formation of the interim government, the Foreign Ministry reported that Dr. Yunus had contacted UAE authorities to request amnesty for the workers. The interim government also appointed legal counsel to defend the workers in court. Human Rights Watch (HRW) strongly condemned the arbitrary detention, conviction, and sentencing of the 57 Bangladeshi protesters. Three of the accused were sentenced to life imprisonment, 53 received 10-year sentences, and one was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
HRW reported that on July 19, groups of mostly Bangladeshi citizens residing in the UAE peacefully protested in solidarity with the student movement in Bangladesh. On July 20, the UAE’s Attorney General launched an investigation, and the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal convicted and sentenced all 57 defendants within just 48 hours.
“There is no way defendants can receive a fair trial when the investigation was launched and completed, trial commenced, and verdict rendered in less than 48 hours,” said Joey Shea, UAE researcher at Human Rights Watch. Shea criticized the UAE’s actions, stating, “The UAE claims to uphold principles of tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and understanding, but arbitrarily detaining and sentencing peaceful protesters to life imprisonment violates these principles.”
On September 3, the UAE President granted pardons to the 57 convicted workers, though they were required to be deported back to Bangladesh. The workers were also urged to follow UAE laws while working in the country.
The interim government expressed its gratitude to the UAE government for pardoning the workers, and sources indicate that the next batch of released workers is expected to return home soon.
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