More than five years after the Taliban imposed restrictions on girls’ education in Afghanistan, a number of Afghan students have reportedly been expelled from the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong, Bangladesh.
According to a report by Ettela’at Rooz, the newspaper spoke with two Afghan students who were expelled from the university. The students said they were survivors of attacks on the Syed al-Shuhada school and the Kaj educational center in western Kabul.
One of the students, Sabera Mohammadi, told Ettela’at Rooz that the university had decided to expel at least 160 Afghan students. The report did not provide further details about the reasons for the expulsions or whether the students were given an opportunity to continue their studies through alternative arrangements.
The reported expulsions come as Afghan girls and women continue to face severe restrictions on access to education following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Secondary education for girls has remained banned, while restrictions have also affected women’s access to higher education.
For many Afghan students, universities outside the country have provided an opportunity to continue their education after being excluded from Afghanistan’s education system. The reported decision at AUW could therefore further affect students who have already experienced disruptions to their studies.
The accounts provided by the students were reported by Ettela’at Rooz and have not been independently verified. Further details regarding the university’s decision and the number of students affected remain unclear.