Bangladesh officials on Tuesday thanked the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for pardoning Bangladeshi nationals who were involved in protests in the UAE recently.
Prof. Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor to the government of Bangladesh, sent out a letter to the UAE Ruler, assuring “full respect for the laws of the UAE”.
He also stressed that Bangladesh will educate its nationals about local laws and culture of host countries.
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Earlier on Tuesday, the UAE President ordered authorities to drop the sentences of Bangladeshi nationals who were convicted for protests against former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and arrange for their deportation from the country.
In July, three Bangladeshis were sentenced to life imprisonment, and 54 others were ordered to be deported after serving prison terms over riots and protests in the Emirates.
“This act of clemency, following our telephonic conversation, not only exemplifies Your Highness’s compassionate leadership but serves as a conduit for strengthening the enduring bond of fraternity between our two nations,” Yunus said in a statement.
The Nobel laureate added that the UAE’s leadership’s decision to annul the sentences of the convicts has been met with profound relief and appreciation by the families of those involved, as well as the Bangladeshi community residing in the Emirates.
“We express our full respect for the laws of the UAE and renew our commitment to brief and educate our nationals on local laws and culture of their host countries before their departure from Bangladesh,” said Yunus.
On Tuesday, BM Jamal Hossain, the consul general of Bangladesh in Dubai and Northern Emirates, also praised the UAE’s gesture, saying: “It is great news for Bangladeshi expatriates living in the UAE, especially for those who were convicted.”
In a statement to Khaleej Times, Hossain said: “On behalf of the Bangladesh Consulate General Dubai, I would like to give cordial thanks to the UAE President and concerned officials for this initiative.”
Following protests by Bangladeshi nationals across the UAE in July, the South Asian country’s missions in the UAE issued advisories, asking their counterparts in the country to show “utmost restraint” and abide by the local laws here.