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Published : 31 Aug 2025, 01:14 AM
A survey has found that 41.9 percent of students in Bangladesh’s higher education institutions face different forms of discrimination on campus.
The study, conducted by social and voluntary organisation Aachol Foundation, covered students from public and private universities, medical colleges, and polytechnic institutes. Among those affected, 51 percent were female students and 49 percent were male.
It shows that 56 percent of public university students, 19 percent of private university students, and 5 percent of medical college students reported facing discrimination.
The forms of discrimination cited included biased behaviour in classrooms, libraries, cafes, and examination results, as well as exclusion in peer groups, harassment in university transport, gender bias, financial factors, political differences, physical appearance, ethnic background, and abuse on social media platforms.
The online survey was conducted between March and May this year with responses from 1,173 students across public and private universities, colleges under the National University, medical colleges, and polytechnic institutes.
The results were presented at a virtual press conference on Saturday, where Farzana Akter Laboni, team leader of Aachol Foundation’s Research and Analysis Unit, shared the findings.
‘DISCRIMINATION MOSTLY IN CLASSROOMS, EXAM RESULTS’
Of the students who reported discrimination, 60 percent said they experienced it in their exam results, making it the most common form. Nearly 30 percent pointed to gender-based discrimination, 19 percent to religious bias, about 7 percent to physical disability, and 9 percent to ethnic differences.
Around 23 percent faced discrimination due to financial reasons, 29 percent due to body image, and 30 percent due to political differences.
The classroom was the place where students reported the highest rate of discrimination -- 60 percent. Another 19 percent said they experienced it in residential halls, while others mentioned university events and programmes.
Social media was also a significant platform, with 31 percent of students saying they were targeted with discriminatory behaviour there. Among them, 48.05 percent were female students, while 50.65 percent were male.
Some 38 percent of respondents said they faced discrimination in friends’ gatherings, and 18 percent reported experiencing it in university transport. Others cited discrimination in libraries, cafes, and exam halls.
PEER BEHAVIOR, TEACHERS BLAMED
According to the survey, 58 percent of students faced discriminatory behaviour from peers, while 55 percent reported similar behaviour from teachers.
University administrations were held responsible by 32 percent of students, and about 15 percent blamed third- and fourth-grade employees.
Discrimination was more frequent in later stages of studies, with 40 percent of students in the third and fourth years of undergraduate courses reporting such experiences.
The data also showed serious mental health implications, with more than 90 percent of affected students saying they suffered an impact.
About 39 percent described the effect as severe, 51 percent said it was moderate, and only 6.5 percent said they were unaffected.
FEW COMPLAINTS LODGED
Only 25 percent of students who faced discrimination lodged complaints with university authorities, while 75 percent said they did not report their experiences.
The survey also shows that 56.6 percent of respondents were female, 43.1 percent were male, and 0.3 percent were third gender.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings, Aachol Foundation put forward seven proposals:
● Appoint mental health specialists to mentor students
● Screen students’ mental health every six months
● Form monitoring teams and enforce strict laws to prevent discrimination and harassment
● Place complaint boxes in every department, set up separate complaint cells for female students
● Take initiatives to improve student–teacher relations
● Launch career counselling centres to guide higher education and employment opportunities
● Ensure easy access to mental health services in all educational institutions
