‘It is a new life thanks to Dr Yunus’: Bangladeshi returnees describe their ordeal in the UAE judicial system
On 3 September, 57 Bangladeshis who had been convicted by the UAE Federal Court for taking part in protests against Sheikh Hasina, were granted pardon by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. They share their stories on their return home
Kamrun Naher went out of her mind when she heard her son, Gazi Mahfuzur Rahman, had been sentenced to life imprisonment in the United Arab Emirates.
Mahfuz had never been involved in any crime, or anything else that could even land him in jail. The young man from Chattogram used to run some car workshops in Sharjah.
Mahfuz had joined a protest in Sharjah Industrial-10 area on July 19, 2024, against former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for her brutal killings of protesters back home. Little did he know then that this simple action would land him in jail on a 25-year life imprisonment sentence.
"I gave up eating, sleeping, and everything else, when I heard about my son," Kamrun Naher broke down in tears as she described the moment. Her husband Gazi Ishak said his wife was going over to places like mosques and shrines, praying for her son's freedom.
"After all, we had no one to turn to but God for the release of our son," said Gazi Ishak. "It was not a year or two, we would not see our son again for 25 years."
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"I had five licenses. I was involved in IT, technology, and electric work contracts. I also have cash money over Tk25 Crore over there, which I cannot withdraw now." Shah Jahan said almost 99% of the employees in his company are Bangladeshis, who will now become unemployed because of his predicament. "At least if I can bring back my money and put it in a bank here, it will help our government."
However, after the Hasina regime was toppled and Professor Yunus took charge of the interim government, Bangladesh approached the UAE authorities, requesting them to release the Bangladeshis imprisoned for staging the protest.
Bangladesh convinced the UAE that Bangladeshi migrant workers' protests were not staged against the Emirati government, but against the authorities in Bangladesh.
Finally, on 3 September, 57 Bangladeshis who had been convicted by the UAE Federal Court were granted pardon by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. Mahfuz was among the first few batches of pardoned Bangladeshi workers to return home.
"It was a dangerous situation. I completely broke down when it happened in the blink of an eye. The UAE rules are very tough. They directly gave us 25 years. They didn't let go of a single person produced before the court," Mahfuz said.
"I couldn't imagine my life would be like this. I went crazy. We were 31 people in one room for over 40 days. We would cry all the time," he added.
Mahfuz, however, told us a different version regarding the number of detainees and date of verdict, than what is being reported in the media. He said he was among the "second batch of 57" produced in court on August 6. Among them, nine were imprisoned for life while the others were served 10-year sentences.
The first batch of 57 Bangladeshis were sentenced on July 21, just a day after they were arrested on July 19.
Mahfuz said more than 100 Bangladeshis were prosecuted in total, all of whom were later pardoned. He claimed some Bangladeshis were still in prison in the UAE, as they have not received a verdict yet.
We reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' West Asia wing to verify the number of arrested and pardoned Bangladeshis in the UAE. Shafiqur Rahman, Director General of West Asia Wing at MoFA confirmed that, "The number [of pardoned migrant workers in the UAE] is around 113/114."
Meheraj Uddin Rasel is among the other returnees who were pardoned by the UAE President. He had been working in the UAE for three years at a hardware store. He was sentenced for ten years.
As Hasina's brutal crackdown killed many at home in Bangladesh, Rasel, like many other Bangladeshi migrant workers in the UAE, couldn't help but protest.
"Five of us were arrested from the spot," Rasel said. "I couldn't even imagine that something like this could happen - that, out of the blue, I would have to serve ten years. I don't have any brothers or sisters to take care of my parents and they are ill. It felt like the sky had fallen on us."
Rasel said he is in deep financial trouble at the moment, as he had managed a visa extension in the UAE through great effort, which still had a year left. But after the UAE sent him back, with a 'no entry' status like everyone else, it means he won't be allowed back to the UAE again.
"I hope the government does something about it or helps us set up our life back at home. They have done so much for us already," he added.
Md Harun joined a protest in Al Ain city of the UAE. A father of three children, he has five mouths to feed. His children and everyone else in the family are dependent on his income.
"It was a huge nightmare for us," he said. "We have got our life back. It is a new life thanks to Dr Yunus. We pray for him. We need a government like this who can return us from such a grave situation. My children got their fathers back and I got my children back."
"If I had to stay in prison for ten years there, I would lose everyone. And I would lose my life over there," he said.
A contractor of plumbing, welding and various electric work and maintenance in the UAE, the financial loss for Harun has been huge. Many owe him money, but there is no way he can get it back at the moment due to the 'no entry' status issue.
"I am thankful that I am back. Whether I can return there or not, this is a big deal. But for our survival at home or with regards to whether we could go back there, it would be great if the government could help," he added.
Shah Jahan, another such returnee, had a manpower and contracting business in the UAE. He was arrested in Abu Dhabi. He said more than 450 employees worked under him in Abu Dhabi. He also had a travel agency there.
"I had five licenses. I was involved in IT, technology, and electric work contracts. I also have cash money over Tk25 Crore over there, which I cannot withdraw now," he said.
Shah Jahan said that almost 99% of the employees in his company are Bangladeshis, who will now become unemployed because of his predicament.
"At least if I can bring back my money and put it in a bank here, it will help our government," Shah Jahan added.
