Bangladesh students expelled over homosexuality allegations
JusticeMakers Bangladesh calls on University of Dhaka to reverse decision
Two first-year students at the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh were banned from a residential hall over allegations that they were involved in homosexuality. The Daily Star reported that both students denied the allegations.
One of the students alleged that he was framed. He said the disciplinary action was motivated by bias against people from Gopalganj in south-central Bangladesh, because that was the home district of ousted prime minister Sheikh Haisna. Erasing 76 Crimes is not identifying the students, for their safety.
“How could our seats be cancelled without the allegation even being proven?” one of the students said.
The other student said there was a risk they could have been attacked by a mob, but the hall authorities acted swiftly and ensured their safe departure from the hall. More than 70 students were waiting outside the hall when they were escorted out through a side gate, which he said allowed them to leave safely, the student said.
“We couldn’t even collect our belongings from the room,” the student said.
Both students said they were deeply traumatised.
Ahmed Al Sabah, an administrator at the residence hall, stated in a post on his Facebook account that the students were permanently expelled from the hall and instructed to leave immediately in the presence of their local guardians. He also stated that the process of taking further disciplinary action against them through the university administration was underway.
On the other hand, the hall administration described the action as a preliminary administrative measure and reportedly formed a three-member investigation committee, headed by Hall House Tutor and Assistant Proctor Professor Md. Rezaul Karim Sohag, to investigate the actual circumstances and allegations.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France says that taking such serious administrative action before the allegations have been independently and impartially verified raises serious questions regarding the fundamental principles of due process, impartiality, and the right to defend oneself.
JMBF says that in addition to the allegation of so-called “homosexuality,” it is essential to determine through an independent and impartial investigation whether there was any political motive, discrimination based on regional identity, personal conflict, or abuse of power behind the incident.
JMBF also strongly objects to the characterization of alleged “homosexuality” as “serious social misconduct.”
“A student’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, regional identity, or actual or perceived political identity can never constitute a legitimate basis for depriving them of their rights to education, accommodation, safety, and dignity. Punishing students by characterizing ‘homosexuality’ as social misconduct creates a serious risk of institutionalizing discrimination and social stigma,” says Robert Simon, chief advisor of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France.
JMBF is particularly concerned by the student’s claim that his private photographs and videos were recorded by his roommate and provided to a third party. If any student’s private or intimate photographs, videos, or digital information were recorded, collected, stored, transferred, or circulated without consent, this would raise serious concerns regarding interference with the individual’s right to privacy, personal security, and human dignity.< The responsibility of a university administration is not to regulate the private lives of students or judge them on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation. Rather, it is to ensure the safety, dignity, education, accommodation, and a discrimination- and harassment-free environment for every student. This is not the only recent incident at the University of Dhaka in which action has been taken against students over allegations of "homosexuality." In July, media reports stated that two individuals were detained at another residence hall over similar allegations. In that incident, their personal mobile phones were examined, they were handed over to the police, and the residential seat of one of the students concerned was permanently cancelled.
Similar allegations were also recently raised against two guests staying in the room of an Assistant General Secretary of a residence hall union, following which the residential seat of the AGS was temporarily cancelled.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh believes that repeated administrative actions based on similar allegations within such a short period indicate a disturbing trend involving discrimination, social stigma, surveillance, and harassment based on actual or perceived sexual orientation.
The organization is calling on the University authorities to reinstate the students’ residencies, independently investigate the harassment the students faced, and develop a process to prevent further discrimination.
The organization has also long called for the government of Bangladesh to decriminalize homosexuality and ensure the equality and dignity of all.
