SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: January 18, 2026

Attack Types: Loss of Position

Institution(s):University of Asia Pacific

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Bangladesh

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On January 18, 2026, the University of Asia Pacific (UAP) dismissed A. S. M. Mohsin, an Associate Professor in the Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities, following student allegations of support for an illegal political party.

In December 2025, students protested against Mohsin, alleging ties to the Awami League—the now-banned political party that governed Bangladesh until August 2024. The accusations against Mohsin stemmed from a 2024 book fair that took place at the university while Mohsin was in charge of UAP’s Department of Student Welfare. During the fair, a book on the history of the Awami League was displayed. Although no formal complaint was filed against him, the university dismissed Mohsin following the protests without forming an inquiry committee or providing him an opportunity to respond. Human rights organizations have denounced Mohsin’s dismissal, as well as the simultaneous dismissal of colleague Layeqa Bashir, for the lack of transparency in the investigations (see related report).

In the wake of the unrest, the UAP administration announced an indefinite closure of academic activities on January 19, 2026.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the dismissal of a tenured professor without following proper due process and under political pressure. Higher education authorities have an obligation to ensure due process, transparency, and fairness when engaging in disciplinary action. University officials should adhere in principle and practice to established policies for challenging and removing tenure; policies which are designed to guard against bias, ideological interference, or other improper motives. Failure to strictly adhere to such policies directly undermines academic freedom and undermines democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://www.banglatribune.com/educations/930849/এশিয়া-প্যাসিফিকের-দুই-শিক্ষককে-পুনর্বহালের-দাবি
https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/jaqan8nqmm
https://bangla.bdnews24.com/bangladesh/3ddc4be52cb8
https://www.bbc.com/bengali/articles/czr411661k6o
https://www.jmbf.org/2026/01/bangladesh-alert-dismissal-of-two.html#more
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/2-uap-teachers-terminated-amid-student-protests-4086461