Dhaka, Nov. 4 -- Scores of academics and students at public universities in Bangladesh have been arbitrarily punished because of their alleged affiliation with former ruler Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday.

Any action to punish persons for their peaceful beliefs or without ensuring due process would violate the rights to freedom of expression and association protected under international human rights law and reproduce abusive attempts under previous administrations to control political opinion and expression at Bangladesh's public universities, it said.

"Bangladesh has a long history of political debate in its universities, and only autocrats should fear such discourse, not a governmen...