UAE HANDS 57 BANGLADESHIS LONG-TERM JAIL FOR PROTESTING AGAINST THEIR GOVERNMENT

Tue 23 July 2024:

A court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sentenced 57 Bangladeshi nationals to prison for staging protests against their own government, according to state media.

Heavy Penalties and Deportation Orders

Three Bangladeshis received life sentences, while 53 were sentenced to 10 years and one to 11 years for “gathering and inciting riots” during protests held on Friday, as reported by the official Emirati news agency WAM. Following their prison terms, all will be deported. A witness confirmed that the defendants organized large-scale marches in various streets of the UAE to protest decisions made by the Bangladeshi government.

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Strict Laws on Protests and Foreign Relations

Unauthorized protests are forbidden in the UAE, and the country’s penal code criminalizes actions that offend foreign states or jeopardize diplomatic ties. The demonstrations in the UAE followed student-led protests in Bangladesh against a court decision that reinstated a government quota system, reserving over 50% of civil service jobs, including 30% for descendants of 1971 war veterans.

Nationwide Unrest in Bangladesh

The reinstatement of the quota system sparked protests in Bangladesh, with students demanding its abolition amid stagnant job growth and high youth unemployment. The government’s crackdown on these protests and attacks on sit-ins led to nationwide unrest, posing a significant challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Supreme Court Intervention and Ongoing Demands

On Sunday, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court scaled back the quota system, but protesters continue to demand accountability for officials responsible for the violence that reportedly resulted in 163 deaths. Over 500 people, including opposition leaders, have been arrested in Dhaka.

Bangladeshi Expatriates in the UAE

The UAE, largely populated by expatriates, has a significant Bangladeshi population, the third largest expatriate group after Pakistanis and Indians, according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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