Protesting the abduction of five Chittagong University (CU) students from Khagrachhari’s Giriful area, fellow students blocked the Chattogram-Khagrachhari highway, demanding their immediate release and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.
On Tuesday (April 22) at around 1 PM, students of Chittagong University staged a blockade at the university’s Gate No. 1 area, halting traffic on the Chattogram-Khagrachhari highway. Earlier, they formed a human chain at the campus Shaheed Minar and marched to the blockade site, disrupting vehicle movement for nearly an hour.
The abducted students—Maitrimoy Chakma and Aldrin Tripura from the Institute of Fine Arts, Dibbyo Chakma from the Department of Drama, Rishon Chakma from International Relations, and Longgi Mro from Zoology—are all first-year students from the 2023–24 academic session.
“It’s been seven days, yet there’s no trace of our friends. Such incidents are unacceptable anywhere in post-liberation Bangladesh,” said Shafkat, a fellow student. “The government must take stronger action. We demand their safe return immediately.”
Ashiqur Rahman from the 2022–23 session of Islamic Studies added, “No rescue effort has succeeded so far. This is a failure of the authorities. If the students aren’t freed within 48 hours, we will isolate the Chittagong Hill Tracts from the rest of the country.”
University Proctor Prof. Dr. Tanvir Mohammad Haider Arif acknowledged the students’ concerns but urged calm. “Those abducted are like our children. We’re equally concerned, but blocking roads only causes public suffering. We’ve provided all necessary support and hope for a quick resolution.”
The five CU students were reportedly kidnapped by members of the regional group United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) from Giriful area of Khagrachhari Sadar around 6:30 AM on Wednesday (April 16). Despite the passage of a week, their whereabouts remain unknown.
LND/BG
