DUBAI: An Emirati court has sentenced 57 Bangladeshi expatriates to lengthy prison terms for protesting against their government in the Gulf country, where demonstrations are banned, state media reported Monday.

Protests have swept Bangladesh this month against a quota system for civil service jobs that critics say benefits supporters of autocratic Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In Bangladesh, near-daily marches escalated last week into civil unrest, leaving 163 people dead. More than 500 people, including some opposition leaders, have been arrested.

On Monday, the official Emirati news agency WAM said three Bangladeshi expatriates were sentenced to life, 53 others to 10 years in prison and one to 11 years for participating in protests.