OHCHR Submission: Upcoming Country Visit to Bangladesh by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education (2026)

Noboprobhaat Foundation submitted this written contribution to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in response to the call for inputs ahead of the official country visit to Bangladesh by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, scheduled for 23 November to 4 December 2026. The submission examines progress, persistent inequalities, and emerging human rights concerns affecting access to quality, equitable, inclusive, and discrimination-free education in Bangladesh, with particular attention to marginalized and gender-diverse students.

Drawing on documented incidents, published information, and community-based observations, the submission acknowledges positive developments in public education financing, scholarship programmes, affordable higher education, and initiatives promoting educational inclusion. However, it also identifies significant barriers affecting rural and economically disadvantaged students, Indigenous communities, students with disabilities, and those experiencing discrimination based on their personal identities. Particular attention is given to documented incidents during 2025 and 2026 involving harassment, forced disclosure of personal information, privacy violations, intimidation, physical and psychological violence, and punitive institutional actions. These incidents illustrate how discrimination and institutional failures can prevent affected students from safely attending classes, accessing residential accommodation, completing examinations, and continuing their education.

The submission raises serious concerns regarding institutional accountability, procedural fairness, student safeguarding, and the lack of effective protection and accessible remedies. It emphasizes that educational inclusion must extend beyond admission, as students subjected to discrimination, threats, or violence may experience prolonged or permanent exclusion from educational opportunities. The submission also recommends relevant educational institutions, geographic locations, government authorities, academic stakeholders, and civil society representatives for the Special Rapporteur’s country visit, including confidential consultations with affected students and community representatives.

Through this submission, Noboprobhaat Foundation calls for stronger institutional safeguards, equitable education financing, confidential reporting and referral mechanisms, meaningful accountability, and effective protection against discrimination and violence. It reinforces the principle that the right to education must guarantee not only access to educational institutions but also every student’s ability to remain, learn, and complete their education safely, equally, and with dignity.