Convicted Bangladeshi Despot Still Holds ANU Honorary Degree
By John doe
It has been 20 months since former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India amid allegations she ordered the killings of 1400 student protesters. Yet the Australian National University still has not revoked the honorary law degree it bestowed upon her in 1999.
Delayed Action Despite Conviction
Hasina was found guilty by a Bangladeshi court on November 17 last year and sentenced to death in her absence. She faces 135 counts of murder, seven of crimes against humanity and genocide, three of abduction, six of attempted murder, and one of attacking a political procession.
The killings involved the deliberate use of drones, helicopters and lethal weapons against civilians, according to charges.
Despite these convictions, ANU continues to delay revoking the honorary degree. The university administration has repeatedly requested more information about the circumstances of Hasina's exile and says its procedures first need to be updated.
Academics Decry University Response
Anis Chowdhury, an emeritus professor at Western Sydney University and appointed special minister of state to Bangladesh's interim government in 2025, was among five academics who signed a letter calling for ANU to cancel the degree in 2024.
"It is really disappointing to see a highly reputable public university dragging its feet on this matter," Chowdhury tells AAP. "Even after the UN Human Rights Commission's finding of Sheikh Hasina's direct involvement in the killing of protesters during the mass uprising that toppled her, and her death sentence by the International Crimes Tribunal."
Procedural Delays
Former foreign affairs minister and ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop has removed herself from discussion of the issue due to her involvement with the United Nations. The committee tasked with dealing with the matter faced further delays when pro-chancellor Alison Kitchen resigned about a week before a scheduled February meeting.
A meeting set for March also failed to proceed.
"Following the recent appointment of a new pro-chancellor, the committee aims to reconvene where the matter concerning Sheikh Hasina will be considered further," an ANU spokesperson says.
Reputational Concerns
The academic petition, released under freedom of information laws, warned of reputational damage given the severe nature of the alleged atrocities.
"In view of Sheikh Hasina's flagrant violations of human rights; her denting of democratic values; ruthless suppression of student protests that have left hundreds dead and thousands injured; and continued enforced disappearances and tortures in custody, it is a matter of grave concern that ANU may have inadvertently put its reputation as a centre of academic and ethical excellence at risk," the petition reads.
The letter notes that Hasina was seen as a champion of democracy when she first assumed power in 1996, when the degree was conferred. However, her governance later demonstrated "all the hallmarks of fascism," according to the petitioners.
Current Status
Hasina remains in hiding in India under tight security, having unsuccessfully sought political asylum in the United Kingdom. In addition to her death sentence, she was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to 10 years prison in February 2026.
ANU endorsed proposed changes to its revocation procedures at an August 2025 meeting, noting that it wasn't equipped to undertake in-depth investigations. The university resolved to work with the Department of Foreign Affairs in cases involving overseas recipients.
