Staff Reporter :
Seventy-five Bangladeshi expatriates who had been incarcerated in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were released on Wednesday, with plans to return to Bangladesh within the next week. Their release marks a significant development following the intervention of Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.
The detainees had been arrested during protests that occurred in the UAE in solidarity with the student movement back in Bangladesh, which was protesting the then Sheikh Hasina-led government. As the student demonstrations gained momentum, many Bangladeshis living in the UAE organized their own protests, voicing support for the movement against government repression in their home country. In response to these protests, the UAE authorities detained several participants, and an Abu Dhabi Federal Court handed down prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life for those involved.
The political landscape in Bangladesh shifted dramatically when the Sheikh Hasina government fell on August 5, 2024, paving the way for the administration of Prof Muhammad Yunus. Once in power, the Yunus-led government made the release of the detained expatriates a priority. Prof Yunus personally reached out to the UAE President to facilitate their release, resulting in a positive outcome.
This effort has already seen the return of 113 of the 188 detainees, with the remaining 75 now set to return home soon. The release is seen as a diplomatic victory and a testament to the efforts of the interim government to resolve issues affecting Bangladeshis abroad.
