United News of Bangladesh

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. Read more: Disney to build its 7th theme park in UAE 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. Read more: UAE President, PM mourn death of Khaleda Zia 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.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has to first confess her corruption offense and seek pardon from the president before she can be allowed to go abroad for medical treatment, Law Minister Anisul Haq said on Wednesday. Khaleda has no other alternative but to confess her guilt and seek mercy to the president if she wants to go abroad, the minister said in parliament. This is the only legal way open to her, the lawyer-turned-politician said throwing a challenge that he will quit his profession if anyone can show another legal means. READ: BNP’s efforts on to send Khaleda abroad: Fakhrul Anisul was responding to allegations from two BNP legislators that the government is not allowing the former prime minister to leave the country for receiving better medical treatment because of political reason. Speaking on the cut motion during the passage of the budget for 2021-22 fiscal, BNP lawmakers Harunur Rashid and Mosharof Hosen demanded that the government allows Khaleda  to get treatment abroad. The law minister said Khaleda’s family members had applied for her release to take her abroad for treatment. “But in their application, they did not mention any provision of the law,” he said. In this connection, he mentioned that the government considered an earlier appeal under 401 of penal code and suspended her corruption sentences and released her on two conditions. The two conditions were that she will receive treatment at home staying in the country. “They (Khaleda Zia's family) accepted it. They took Begum Zia home from jail,” he added. Pointing to BNP leaders’ repeated appeal to send Khaleda  abroad, the law minister said that once an application is disposed of, it cannot be reconsidered. “They have applied and got her released abiding by certain conditions. Now they are saying that she has to go abroad and applied accordingly. That application is final (disposed of). No one else can do anything about it. That application has been disposed of under section 401,” the law minister said. He also said that there are six sub-sections in the law. “If you [BNP MPs] can show under those sub-sections that you will be able to apply again [to take Khaleda abroad], then I will not be in the legal profession anymore,” he challenged. Pointing to provisions of the law to free Khaleda, the law minister said that any convicted person has to be released through the law. READ: Send Khaleda abroad for treatment: Pro-BNP journos “There is a way--they can apologise to the President or to the government admitting the guilt under section 401. If they ask for forgiveness, they can consider forgiving.” Referring to Khaleda’s treatment, he said she was at Evercare Hospital where she received proper care. The law minister urged the BNP to stop doing meaningless political stunt regarding Khaleda’s treatment.