Bangladesh Consulate in UAE urges restraint by expats

The Consul-General of Bangladesh in the UAE has advised its citizens residing in the country to exercise restraint in the wake of the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina yesterday.

"All expatriate Bangladeshis living in Dubai and the Northern Emirates are specially requested to show maximum restraint and co-exist peacefully and harmoniously, and abide by the laws and regulations of the host country," the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Dubai and the Northern Emirates said in a statement posted on social media.

The mission added any kind of assembly is prohibited without prior permission from authorities.

A UAE court handed prison sentences to 53 Bangladeshi nationals after they gathered to protest late last month. They had reportedly organized several marches in the UAE's streets, in support of largescale demonstrations in their home country that saw dozens of protesters killed.

The initial protest was sparked by a Supreme Court decision that would see the reinstatement of a quota that reserves 30% of government jobs for children of independence war veterans. The quota was previously scrapped in 2018 after massive student protests.

The demonstrations widened last weekend, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The official withdrew from her position after 15 years of power, fleeing the country as protesters stormed her home on Monday.