21 July 2024: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Public Prosecution has initiated an investigation into a group of Bangladeshi nationals who recently held anti-government protests in the UAE. The demonstrations, organized by Bangladeshi students, reportedly involved rioting, disrupting public facilities, and damaging both public and private properties.
The protests are linked to ongoing conflicts between the Bangladeshi government and students over political and economic issues, which have resulted in the deaths of several students. Demonstrators voiced concerns about governance and human rights abuses in Bangladesh.
In response to escalating violence, the Bangladeshi government imposed a nationwide curfew from Friday night until Sunday morning, enforced by deployed troops. The unrest has led to the deaths of at least 75 people and injuries to over 2,000. Additionally, broadband and mobile internet services were suspended across the country to control the situation.
A resident outside Dhaka described the capital as “volatile and tense,” with intermittent clashes reported between protesters and security forces. Amnesty International condemned the government’s actions, calling the rising death toll a “shocking indictment” of its intolerance towards protest and dissent. The rights group criticized the use of unlawful force and the failure of law enforcement to uphold human rights obligations.
According to a report by The Washington Post, the student protests have focused on the government’s 56% quota system in public jobs, reserving 30% for descendants of those who participated in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of liberation. Students have demanded a reduction in this quota, which the government plans to address in an upcoming Supreme Court appeal.
In one of the most severe incidents, protesters in Narsingdi broke into a jail, freeing dozens of prisoners, resulting in at least 30 deaths. With internet services down, information flow from Bangladesh has been limited, causing concern among expatriates unable to contact their families.
The UAE’s investigation into the protests reflects the broader tensions and significant unrest affecting the Bangladeshi community both domestically and abroad.
