Homophobic Hate Speech Seminar Held at DUET with Administrative Support
Dhaka, 27 July 2025
A disturbing escalation of anti-LGBTQ+ activity has been reported at the Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET). Today, Professor Moktar Ahmad—known for his extreme homophobic rhetoric—organized and led a public seminar on campus that featured hate speech targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. Shockingly, the event was held with the official permission and support of the university’s Vice Chancellor and senior faculty members.
This incident follows closely on the heels of the DUET administration’s recent expulsion of seven students from the university hostel, based solely on allegations of homosexuality. Rather than fostering an inclusive or protective educational environment, the university’s leadership appears to be endorsing open discrimination and the normalization of hate.
During the seminar, Professor Moktar Ahmad not only delivered virulently anti-LGBTQ+ remarks, but also explicitly called on the audience to stand against the planned establishment of the United Nations Human Rights Office in Bangladesh. He urged students and faculty to resist any recognition of LGBTQ+ rights and to actively oppose international initiatives aimed at protecting minority and human rights in the country.
Eyewitness reports confirm that faculty and university administration members were present, lending legitimacy to the proceedings. The Facebook Live broadcast of the seminar attracted further attention and spread the homophobic rhetoric to a wider audience. This is the latest in a series of actions by Bangladeshi extremist groups and their supporters, who are increasingly emboldened to hold public rallies, expel students, and incite hatred in educational settings.
Such events have resulted in:
A spike in homophobic propaganda and hate speech in academic spaces
Direct persecution and exclusion of LGBTQ+ students
Active efforts to suppress human rights advocacy by attacking both local activists and international organizations
The normalization of hate speech, especially when sanctioned by academic authorities, sends a dangerous message that discrimination and violence are acceptable. This situation presents a grave threat to the rights, safety, and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as to Bangladesh’s standing in the international community.
The LGBTQ Phobia Monitoring Cell urges immediate attention and intervention from educational leaders, human rights defenders, and the global community to counteract these threats, safeguard vulnerable students, and uphold the fundamental principles of equality and dignity for all.
Video Reference: Facebook Live recording of the DUET seminar led by Professor Moktar Ahmad
