UAE pardons 440 BD prisoners

Staff Reporter :

On the occasion of the UAE’s 54th National Day (Eid Al Etihad) in 2025, the rulers of the United Arab Emirates have granted royal pardons to 440 Bangladeshi prisoners.

As part of the Union Day celebrations, UAE leaders pardoned thousands of inmates nationwide, marking one of the largest collective clemency initiatives in recent years, according to a press release from the UAE Embassy on Wednesday.

The pardons reflect the UAE’s long-standing tradition of showing mercy during significant national and religious occasions. The country’s leaders often issue royal pardons during events such as Eid and National Day, promoting forgiveness, family reunification, and social reintegration.

Recent pardon initiatives in late 2025 included prisoners of various nationalities, including Bangladeshi citizens, giving them an opportunity for a fresh start.

The gesture highlights the UAE leadership’s humanitarian values and its commitment to helping pardoned individuals rebuild their lives and rejoin their families and communities.
Eid Al Etihad, observed annually on 2 December, commemorates the historic unification of the emirates in 1971 under a single flag.

Earlier, on 11 January, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan granted pardons to 25 Bangladeshi citizens who had been convicted for participating in demonstrations during the July Uprising in Bangladesh.

The pardons were issued following a request from Bangladesh for clemency. All 25 individuals have since been released and returned home.

These expatriates had been detained at different times in the UAE during the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh.