In its notorious repression of freedom of speech and right to protest, the UAE has imprisoned over 50 Bangladeshis for protesting against their home country’s government, with three of them sentenced to life. Another 53 Bangladeshis were sentenced to 10 years in prison.

After the end of their decade long sentences, the Bangladeshis will then be deported back to their country. 

While in the UAE, the protesters were demonstrating against a Bangladesh High Court decision to reintroduce a quota system for government jobs in the country. The system was set to reserve 30% of such jobs for descendents of veterans who partook in Bangladesh’s war of independence over 50 years ago. 

In Bangladesh, massive protests have been taking place over the last few weeks, initiated by students who view such a quota system as anti-meritocratic. The protests were met with violence by authorities, turning into clashes that killed over 138 protesters. Over half of those deaths happened in the country’s capital, Dhaka.

The Bangladesh Supreme Court then scrapped the High Court verdict, recommending that only 5% of jobs should be given to the relatives of the veterans. 

Videos of protesters in the UAE surfaced on Friday July 19, showing dozens of Bangladeshi nationals protesting against their home government. 

Unauthorized protests are banned in the UAE, where freedom of speech is heavily restricted.

Anwar Gargash, adviser to the UAE presidency, said: “The Attorney General’s decision to refer the protesters to trial is within the legal framework to maintain the state model and prevent the export of other countries’ problems to the UAE.”

The demonstrators were accused and convicted of deliberately disrupting transportation, inciting protests, rioting, causing damage to property and sharing content about the demonstrations online, according to Emirati news channel WAM. 

“This just shows how quick the UAE authorities are to stamp on any form of freedom of expression,” stated James Lynch, co-founder of Fair Square, a human rights organization that campaigns for workers’ rights in the Gulf.

Bangladeshis amount to about seven percent of the UAE’s population and are the third-largest immigrant community in the Emirates, after Indians and Pakistanis. 

Only about 10% of the UAE’s population are Emirati citizens, with the vast majority being immigrants who represent the working class.