DHAKA (AFP) — Bangladesh's president has pardoned four academics who were sentenced to two years in jail last week for fuelling nationwide student unrest, a minister said.
The August 20-22 unrest began at Dhaka University and spread across the country, leaving at least one dead and more than 100 injured. It shook the country's emergency government, prompting it to impose a curfew in major cities.
Last week the professors from Rajshahi University in the country's west were jailed for taking part in the protests and violating emergency rules.
But President Iajuddin Ahmed "pardoned all four professors following petitions from their wives", interim law and information minister Mainul Hosein told AFP.
"They were released from Rajshahi jail," prison official Abdul Halim added.
Four other professors from Dhaka University who have been detained as part of the nationwide crackdown after the unrest could also be freed if they apologise for their actions, the minister said.
The arrests had prompted renewed but peaceful protests in Dhaka University, as well as complaints from human rights groups.
Bangladesh's emergency government came to power on January 12 and has promised to clean up the country's corrupt politics before holding fresh elections in late 2008.
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