Staff Correspondent:
International human rights organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) has expressed concern over disciplinary actions taken against teachers and students at several public universities in Bangladesh allegedly because of their political affiliations and past activities.
In a statement released on Wednesday, HRW said that teachers and students accused of having links to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the banned Awami League were facing dismissal, suspension, expulsion and restrictions on academic activities, often without due process.
The rights organisation said punishing individuals for their peaceful political beliefs or affiliations, without following fair disciplinary procedures, violates international human rights standards and undermines freedom of expression and association.
It also warned that restricting political opinions and independent thinking on university campuses risks reproducing the repressive practices of previous governments.
“Bangladesh’s universities have a long tradition of political discussion and debate. It is autocrats who fear such discussion and debate. A government born out of a student movement should have no reason to fear them,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at HRW.
She stressed that Bangladesh must move beyond its history of repression and ensure that a change in government does not lead to the reversal of political roles and the repetition of abusive practices.
According to HRW, disciplinary measures against university teachers have included dismissal, temporary suspension, demotion, restrictions on teaching and limitations on academic responsibilities.
The allegations against the teachers include supporting or facilitating violent actions by the Awami League government during the 2024 student-led uprising, participating in party activities and discriminatory treatment of students wearing Islamic attire.
At the same time, hundreds of students identified as Awami League members or supporters have reportedly been expelled from universities, depriving them of access to higher education.
HRW said it interviewed more than a dozen teachers facing disciplinary action and reviewed university correspondence, television discussions and videos published on social media. The investigation also documented cases involving student expulsions, withholding of examination certificates and restrictions on campus access.
Citing media reports published in August 2026, HRW said investigations had reportedly been initiated against at least 404 teachers at 22 universities over allegations that they were members of an Awami League-affiliated Telegram group.
An unnamed professor at a public university told HRW that teachers affiliated with the Awami League who had not supported the 2024 student movement were being harassed through false allegations. They had also been barred from teaching and conducting research, the professor said.
HRW highlighted several cases of disciplinary action at major public universities across the country.
At the University of Dhaka, the new administration reportedly instructed 44 teachers to refrain from their duties from September 2024, while another 25 had their teaching responsibilities restricted.
HRW alleged that these decisions were made without transparent and credible departmental investigations. Following a subsequent investigation committee report, six of the teachers were formally suspended. Investigations were also initiated against 14 additional teachers over similar allegations.
At Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh, 12 teachers were dismissed, suspended or removed from their responsibilities. Another 34 reportedly faced demotion or restrictions on their duties.
Although the university formed an investigative commission to examine the allegations, HRW questioned whether its proceedings complied with the disciplinary procedures established under university regulations.
At Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University in Dhaka, 12 teachers were suspended following an investigation, while another 10 were removed from academic activities. The affected teachers alleged that they were not given an opportunity to defend themselves.
HRW said the process appeared to have violated disciplinary provisions governing university teachers. Another 85 teachers at the university reportedly did not receive promotions.
The organisation said it had documented similar incidents at more than 20 public universities across Bangladesh.
HRW also raised concerns over disciplinary actions against students.
In March 2025, the University of Dhaka temporarily expelled 126 students and withheld their examination certificates. A university fact-finding committee alleged that the students had participated in attacks on peaceful protesters during the 2024 movement.
The university reportedly said it had photographic, video and social media evidence supporting the allegations.
In addition, the names of 277 other students allegedly affiliated with the Awami League appeared in police cases. However, the university administration did not initiate formal disciplinary proceedings against them.
According to teachers and students interviewed by HRW, many of those students have stopped attending campus activities due to fears of arrest.
Several accused students have denied involvement in violence. HRW said the university authorities had not provided them with an opportunity to present their defence.
One of the teachers facing disciplinary action is Professor Mashiur Rahman of the Department of Sociology at the University of Dhaka, who had been serving as vice-chancellor of another university since 2017.
On September 25, 2024, he was instructed to refrain from all academic and administrative activities.
He was accused of opposing the student movement during a television discussion in July 2024 and describing it as “illegal, baseless and irrational”.
However, after reviewing footage of the programme, HRW said it found no evidence that he had made such remarks.
He was also accused of inciting genocide during a meeting at the prime minister’s residence on August 3, 2024. However, HRW noted that the meeting had been organised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and was expected to include vice-chancellors from different universities.
Rahman told HRW that no evidence had been presented to support the allegations against him and denied inciting genocide.
On August 31, 2026, the university authorities recommended his permanent dismissal. He has appealed against the decision.
At Bangladesh Agricultural University, some disciplinary actions were reportedly linked to allegations that teachers had participated in an Awami League procession on August 4, 2024, a day before Sheikh Hasina left the country.
An investigative commission formed by the university described the procession as a “terrorist” march.
However, after reviewing a video published on the Facebook page of the Bangladesh Agricultural University Journalists’ Association on August 4, 2024, HRW said the footage showed a group of people walking through the campus while chanting slogans, but did not show any direct physical confrontation.
Professor Purba Islam of the Department of Pharmacology was suspended on August 4, 2025, over allegations of chanting slogans during the procession and supporting repression, torture and genocide under Hasina’s government.
HRW said the video it reviewed did not show her chanting slogans.
On the same day, Professor Yahia Khandaker of the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics was also suspended. He was accused of supporting Hasina’s alleged genocide on campus.
Khandaker told HRW that he had been in Dhaka with his family throughout the student movement and was not present at the university.
The High Court stayed his suspension order, although the Attorney General’s Office subsequently appealed against the decision.
Meanwhile, three university teachers have been convicted by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal in cases involving crimes against humanity. Two of them are in prison, while the trial of the third has yet to begin, according to the report.
Ganguly warned that retaliating against individuals for their peaceful support of a previous government would demonstrate that freedom of expression and peaceful assembly remain inadequately protected in Bangladesh.
“Universities should be open spaces where teachers and students can freely express their views without fear,” she said.
“No one should be forced to support the government of the day, and no one should be punished for holding dissenting opinions.”
HRW urged the authorities to ensure fair disciplinary procedures, protect freedom of expression and association, and prevent political retaliation from undermining academic freedom at the country’s universities.
