Click to expand Image The University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, July 1, 2021. © 2021 Sony Ramany/NurPhoto via AP Photo (London) – Scores of academics and students at…
Click to expand Image The University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, July 1, 2021. © 2021 Sony Ramany/NurPhoto via AP Photo (London) – Scores of academics and students at public universities in Bangladesh have been arbitrarily punished because of their alleged affiliation with former ruler Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party, Human Rights Watch said today.
Any action to punish persons for their peaceful beliefs or without ensuring due process would violate the rights to freedom of expression and association protected under international human rights law and reproduce abusive attempts under previous administrations to control political opinion and expression at Bangladesh’s public universities. “Bangladesh has a long history of political debate in its universities, and only autocrats should fear such discourse, not a government formed following student protests,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“Bangladesh needs to turn the page on the repression of the past, not repeat it whenever the ruling and opposition parties trade places.” The sanctions—dismissals, suspension, and teaching restrictions—focus on allegations that they were complicit in violence by Hasina’s Awami League government, which was toppled by student-led protests in 2024, allegations of other “subversive” activities in support of her party, or their alleged discrimination against students wearing Islamic clothing.
Hundreds of students, allegedly Awami League members and supporters, are also being expelled, denying them their education rights. Human Rights Watch interviewed over a dozen affected teachers, examined university correspondence, and reviewed and analyzed a televised discussion and a video posted on social media. Interviews with teachers and students also confirmed expulsions, cancellation of exam certificates, or barring students from campus.
According to media reports in August 2026, at least 404 more academics at 22 universities, who were part of a pro-Awami League Telegram messaging app group, have been put under investigation. “What is happening now is that the university authorities are targeting with false allegations the group of teachers who are aligned to the Awami League and did not support the 2024 student movement,” said a professor at a public university, who is not identified for security reasons.
This is a source-linked briefing. Read the original report from Human Rights Watch .