Three students of the Faculty of Fisheries at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), who had been physically assaulted and detained by fellow students before being handed over to police on 16 May 2026 following allegations of homosexuality, were temporarily expelled by the university administration. The decision was announced in an office order signed by University Registrar Professor Dr Md Abu Hasan on 19 May 2026. The three students were identified as Md Kawsar Hossain, a Level 1, Semester 1 student of the Faculty of Fisheries, and Md Monirul Islam and Md Robiul Islam, both Level 1, Semester 2 students of the same faculty. On the night of 16 May, fellow students had surrounded, questioned and physically assaulted them at Haven City, a residential area near the university, before they were handed over to police at approximately 12:30 a.m. in the presence of university officials.

According to news reports on the university’s office order, the three students were accused of involvement in activities at the Haven City residence on 16 May that the university described as “immoral activities” and homosexuality. The university authorities claimed that the alleged conduct had damaged the university’s reputation. Following demands from students and a decision by the university’s Residence and Discipline Committee, the three were temporarily expelled from all academic activities under Section 15 of the Students’ Discipline Ordinance. Professor Dr S. M. Emdadul Hasan, Director of Student Counselling and Guidance at HSTU, told the media that the students could face permanent expulsion if the allegations were established through an investigation.

The disciplinary action came three days after the violence of 16 May. During that incident, the students were questioned about their private communications and relationships, and video footage shows them being subjected to physical violence by fellow students. They were subsequently handed over to police. On 19 May, the same three students were removed from academic activities through the university’s disciplinary action. The allegations therefore resulted in a series of consequences for the students within a short period: physical assault and detention by fellow students, police intervention, and then exclusion from academic activities, directly affecting both their safety and their access to education.

On 19 May, the university issued two separate office orders involving four students. One order temporarily expelled Kawsar, Monirul and Robiul of the Faculty of Fisheries in connection with the 16 May Haven City incident and allegations of homosexuality. A separate order temporarily expelled Atikur Rahman of the Department of Finance and Banking; reports concerning his case included an allegation that another student had been subjected to physical and mental abuse. Because both orders were issued on the same day, several news outlets reported the temporary expulsion of all four students together.

The 19 May disciplinary decision extended the consequences of the Haven City incident directly into the three students’ education. The allegations reported against them centred on homosexuality, while the news reports reviewed in relation to the 16 May incident did not establish allegations of non-consensual sexual conduct or sexual violence by the three students. Nevertheless, following the allegations, they faced physical violence and detention by fellow students, police intervention and ultimately temporary exclusion from university academic activities. The case illustrates how discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation can extend beyond interpersonal violence and affect students’ safety, dignity and access to education through institutional action.