UAE jails 57 Bangladeshis over protests against own government

In Bangladesh, more than 150 people have been killed and 500 arrested during days of violence sparked by student-led demonstrations against quotas on government jobs.

The unrest is among the most serious challenges Sheikh Hasina has faced in 15 consecutive years as the country’s prime minister.

According to Wam, the trial of the 57 Bangladeshis heard that they had “organised large-scale marches in several streets of the UAE in protest against decisions made by the Bangladeshi government”.

“This led to riots, disruption of public security, obstruction of law enforcement, and endangerment of public and private property,” it said. “The police had warned the protesters, ordering them to disperse, to which they were unresponsive”.

The court rejected the defendants’ defence and ordered that they be deported after serving their sentences, Wam said.

There was no immediate comment from Bangladesh’s government. But its consulate in Dubai urged citizens to respect local laws in a social media post on Sunday.

Earlier this month, a court in the UAE handed life sentences to 43 human rights defenders and political dissidents who were convicted of “creating a terrorist organisation”.

Human rights groups severely criticised the mass trial, saying the organisation had been an “independent advocacy group”.