10 more migrants pardoned in UAE return home

Ten more Bangladeshi workers, out of 57 who have been granted pardons by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, returned home last night.

With this number, so far total 22 Bangladeshis have returned to Chittagong from UAE. Group Captain Shaikh Abdullah Alamgir, director of Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airportt, confirmed The Daily Star that the returnees were received by officials from BRAC's Migration Programme.

Among the 10 workers who returned today, three arrived on US-Bangla and Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights from Sharjah while the remaining seven reached Chattogram on Air Arabia flight from Abu Dhabi, he added.

A total of 57 Bangladeshis were convicted by the UAE Federal Court for demonstrating on the streets on July 19 during the uprising in Bangladesh.

On September 3, they were granted pardons by the UAE president.

Three of the accused were sentenced to life, 53 were given 10-year sentences, while one accused was sentenced to prison for 11 years.