The president of the United Arab Emirates yesterday pardoned all 57 Bangladeshis who were convicted by the UAE Federal Court for demonstrating in the Arab country during the uprising in Bangladesh.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus paid deepest gratitude to the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for pardoning the Bangladeshis who were sentenced to jail terms for expressing solidarity with the student-led mass upsurge.

"This act of clemency, following our telephone conversation [last week], not only exemplifies Your Highness's compassionate leadership but serves as a conduit for strengthening the enduring bond of fraternity between our two nations," Yunus said in a letter to the UAE president yesterday.

The decision to annul the sentences of the migrants has been a great relief for their families and countrymen, the letter said.

"We are, indeed, profoundly touched by your empathy and understanding. We have full respect for the laws of the UAE and renew our commitment to brief and educate our nationals on the local laws and culture of their host countries before their departure from Bangladesh," Yunus wrote.

On July 19, groups of mostly Bangladeshi nationals who live in the UAE carried out peaceful protests in multiple locations across the UAE to express solidarity with the student protesters in Bangladesh.

The following day, the UAE's attorney general announced an investigation into the protests and just a day later the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal handed the 57 long prison terms for "inciting riots in several streets across the UAE".

Three of those accused were sentenced to life, 53 were given 10-year sentences, while one accused was sentenced to 11 years, according to the UAE's state-run Wam news agency.

The court also ordered the convicts to be deported upon completion of their time in prison.

Human Rights Watch in a statement on July 25 condemned the harsh punishments and said the speed with which the accused were probed, tried and convicted raised serious concerns about the fairness of the judicial process and amounted to unfair trial.