Public universities in Bangladesh are unfairly punishing scores of teachers and students over alleged affiliations with ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her party, the Awami League, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The US-based rights organisation highlighted the issue in a report published on Wednesday, voicing concern over the erosion of due process and freedom of expression within higher education institutions.
HRW stressed that individuals must not face punitive action simply for holding peaceful political beliefs. Taking administrative or disciplinary measures without following standard legal procedures constitutes a direct violation of fundamental human rights. Such actions, the rights group noted, contradict internationally recognised standards safeguarding freedom of speech and assembly.
The organisation described these punitive measures as a continuation of previous regimes’ attempts to control political discourse on public campuses. Meenakshi Ganguly, Deputy Asia Director at HRW, remarked that Bangladeshi universities possess a long-standing tradition of robust political debate. She noted that autocratic rulers fear such discourse, whereas a government brought to power through a student-led movement ought to champion academic freedom. Ganguly urged Bangladesh to break away from past cycles of political repression rather than repeating them whenever power changes hands.
According to the HRW report, disciplinary measures against academics include outright terminations, temporary suspensions, and bans from classroom teaching. Charges against teachers range from alleged involvement in violence during the 2024 student-led uprising to conducting sabotage on behalf of the Awami League and discriminating against students wearing Islamic attire. Simultaneously, hundreds of students accused of supporting or belonging to the Awami League face expulsion, campus entry bans, and the revocation of examination certificates, effectively stripping them of their right to education.
HRW based its findings on interviews with affected academics and students, an examination of official inter-university correspondence, and the analysis of televised panel discussions and social media footage. The investigation revealed that retaliatory actions and procedural breaches have taken place across more than 20 public universities nationwide.
Ganguly warned that taking vindictive action against individuals affiliated with the former administration demonstrates that freedom of assembly and speech remain unprotected in Bangladesh. She emphasised that universities should remain open forums where all individuals can freely express their views without being compelled to endorse the current administration.
