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The president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has pardoned 25 Bangladeshi citizens who were previously convicted by courts in the UAE, following a formal request from the government of Bangladesh.
The clemency was granted to Bangladeshi nationals who had been arrested in the UAE in connection with events surrounding the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh and were later sentenced under UAE law, a spokesperson of the UAE Embassy in Dhaka said on Sunday.
All 25 individuals have now been pardoned and have returned home, according to officials.
The expatriate Bangladeshis were detained at different times during July 2024, a period marked by heightened political unrest in Bangladesh. Their arrests were linked to activities related to those developments, although details of the individual cases were not disclosed.
Bangladeshi authorities welcomed the decision, describing it as a humanitarian gesture that reflects the UAE leadership’s emphasis on compassion, tolerance and justice, as well as the longstanding and close relations between the two countries.
This is not the first time Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has extended clemency to Bangladeshi nationals. In previous instances, the UAE president pardoned Bangladeshi expatriates who had been serving sentences for staging rare protests in the country, moves that were widely seen as underscoring the UAE’s humanitarian approach.
Officials said the latest pardon once again highlighted the generosity of the UAE president and the strength of bilateral ties between the United Arab Emirates and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.