President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has pardoned 25 Bangladeshi citizens who were previously convicted in the UAE.

The pardon was granted following a request from Bangladesh, seeking clemency for Bangladeshi nationals arrested in UAE in connection with the events surrounding the July 2024 and subsequently sentenced by UAE courts.

All 25 individuals have been pardoned and returned to Bangladesh, said the UAE Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday, noting that this act of clemency once again reflects the generosity of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The expatriate Bangladeshis were detained at different times in the UAE during the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh.

This humanitarian gesture reflects the UAE leadership’s commitment to compassion, tolerance and justice, as well as the deep-rooted, brotherly relations between the United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh, the Embassy said.

Earlier, the President had also pardoned Bangladeshi expatriates several times who were serving sentences for staging a rare protest in the UAE, underscoring the UAE’s humanitarian approach.