In the wake of the July–August 2024 unrest in Bangladesh, a profoundly troubling pattern of state-facilitated repression has come to light. Across the nation, thousands of students from diverse academic institutions have been subjected to arbitrary and punitive actions. These include unlawful arrests, expulsions without due process, the annulment of academic credentials, and sweeping prohibitions on attending examinations and regular classes—solely on account of perceived political affiliations.
These actions have unfolded in an atmosphere marked by mob violence, coercion, and threats to life and liberty, all with the tacit approval and active endorsement of the unconstitutional and illegal Interim Government currently headed by Dr. Muhammad Yunus. To date, more than 10,000 students have been detained without any due process; over 5,000 students have been expelled without any credible inquiry process or opportunity to be heard—flagrantly violating principles of natural justice. Alarmingly, upwards of 200,000 students have been barred from continuing their education based merely on presumed associations with the Bangladesh Chhatra League (Bangladesh Students’ League), with no effort made to determine individual culpability or uphold the presumption of innocence.
Despite widespread documentation of violence and intimidation against students, the undemocratic interim administration has refrained from initiating any legal proceedings against the perpetrators of mob attacks. Educational institutions, instead of upholding their constitutional responsibilities and the sanctity of academic freedom, have frequently operated in complicity with politically motivated repression- thereby compromising their status as impartial custodians of education.
This campaign of repression represents a clear and egregious violation of both the Constitution of Bangladesh and the country’s binding international obligations under international human rights law, including:
• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): Articles 14 (right to a fair trial) and 19 (freedom of expression);
• The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR): Article 13 (right to education);
• The Convention Against Torture (CAT): Prohibiting cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment.
The silence and inaction of the unconstitutional and illegal interim government under Dr. Muhammad Yunus constitutes a de facto endorsement of these violations, and amounts to a calculated effort to stifle the voices of Bangladesh’s youth-undermining their fundamental rights and jeopardizing the democratic and educational future of the country.
In light of these grave developments, we respectfully and urgently call upon the United Nations, international human rights mechanisms, diplomatic missions, global academic institutions, and civil society actors to:
- Demand the immediate reinstatement of all students who have been arbitrarily expelled or banned from academic participation;
- Call for an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into all incidents of unlawful arrests, expulsions, and academic sanctions;
- Urge the concerned authority to fully comply with its international legal obligations, including the protection of student rights, academic freedom, and freedom of expression on campuses;
- Deploy international observers and human rights monitors to evaluate the current situation on the ground and report findings to appropriate global forums;
- Condition diplomatic engagement, development cooperation, and educational partnerships with Bangladesh on demonstrable human rights reforms and the restoration of academic freedoms.
The future of any nation rests upon the freedom, education, and well-being of its youth. The international community must not remain a passive observer as an entire generation of Bangladeshi students is subjected to a campaign of fear, retribution, and disenfranchisement. The right to education is not a privilege bestowed at the whim of power—it is an inalienable human right that demands urgent and unequivocal protection.
Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu.
