Family members of Bangladeshi migrant workers detained in Abu Dhabi have staged a sit-in at the InterContinental Hotel intersection in Dhaka, demanding their release and pressing for a four-point charter of demands.
Several returning migrant workers, who were dismissed from their jobs after participating in solidarity protests abroad, also joined the demonstration.
The protesters were initially heading towards the Chief Adviser’s residence as part of their pre-announced program but were intercepted by police.
They later gathered at the designated intersection, where they continued their sit-in as of the latest update.
The detainees were arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during last July’s anti-discrimination student movement, in which migrant workers expressed solidarity through demonstrations abroad.
Protesters said many of those arrested remain imprisoned in Al Sadr jail in Abu Dhabi, despite no proven criminal charges against them.
Khaled Saifullah, a protest leader and a returnee from Dubai, stated, "Some of our brothers are still imprisoned in Al Sadr jail.
They are being held simply for supporting the July movement. There is no evidence of any crime against them."
The protesters have submitted several memorandums over the past eight months, demanding government intervention and compensation, but report receiving no response.
Their key demands include the immediate release of all detainees, official recognition of the returning migrants as "July Migrant Fighters," state-supported rehabilitation, and inclusion of affected individuals in the official list of recognized victims.
Protesters vowed to continue their movement until all demands are met.
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