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Published : 01 Sep 2025, 01:01 AM
An argument over a female student returning to her rented house "late" led to her being assaulted by a security guard.
Tensions rose when her angry classmates heard the news and arrived at the scene, resulting in running battles between the two sides.
The clashes involving the Chittagong University students and Jobra residents erupted on Saturday night and continued throughout the day on Sunday.
Students, members of the proctorial body, and even the vice-chancellor suffered injuries in attacks carried out by locals. University authorities also observed the involvement of the “Chhatra League and Jubo League" in the violence.
The students claimed that "outsiders" also attacked them in addition to the villagers and that sharp objects were used.
On Sunday, over 150 people from both sides, mostly students, received treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH). Among them, two students are in the ICU.
Section 144 has been imposed in and around the campus for the entire day on Sunday. Classes and exams have been suspended for the second day on Monday.
Students claim that villagers gathered and attacked them on Saturday night, leaving several students wounded.
Later, when they visited Gate No. 2 on the campus in the morning, villagers attacked them again.
In contrast, locals claim that students attacked Jobra residents on Saturday night, forcing the villagers to retaliate the following day. They also allege brickbats were first thrown from the campus side on Sunday afternoon.
Hathazari Upazila chief executive told bdnews24.com on Sunday night, "The situation at the university is now calm. Army personnel and other law-enforcing agencies are patrolling several points."
HOW IT BEGAN
The violence was sparked by an argument between a female student renting a room near the university’s Gate No. 2 and a security guard of the building.
Locals say that the student returned home around 11pm. Finding the building’s gate locked, she called the guard. The guard came and became embroiled in an argument with the student. At one point he insulted the student and slapped her.
The student then informed her classmates of the incident. A group of students then went to the building and were chased by locals who took the guard's side. The two sides then began to clash. They threw brickbats and chased each other while carrying sticks and rods.
The locals used a microphone to gather people and attack the students at that time. There have been several allegations of locals attacking students with sharp weapons.
Around 3am, CU Proctor Tanvir Md Hayder Arif took to Facebook to call for support.
He wrote, “Many students were injured in the clash between our students and the locals at Gate No. 2. Assistant Proctor Korban Ali Sir, Nazmul Sir, and Security Chief Rahim Bhai were injured. Many security personnel were injured. Vehicles belonging to the proctorial body, police and the university were vandalised.”
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) Kamal Uddin said that Army personnel arrived at the scene around 3:30am to try to control the situation.
He told bdnews24.com over the phone, “The doorman of a residential building raised his hand against one of our students tonight. When our students protested, the villagers attacked them, injuring many students.”
He said, “There weren’t enough police at the scene. We contacted the RAB (Rapid Action Battalion), but did not get a response from them. Finally, the Army came. They brought the situation under control.”
The university’s chief medical officer Mohammed Abu Tayubb told bdnews24.com that they provided first aid to at least 60 injured students during the night. Of them, 21 were sent to CMCH for advanced treatment.
The army personnel left at 9am after the situation had returned to normal to some extent, the university's Registrar Mohammed Saiful Islam said.
CLASHES AGAIN
On Sunday morning, locals allegedly blocked the road again, trapping students living in the area inside their houses.
Witnesses say that students began gathering in the area around 11am in separate groups. When a number of students had gathered around noon, it led to a fresh clash with the locals.
Students say the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when locals attacked a group of students who had gone to “rescue” another group of fellow students.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Kamal Ahmed and members of the university administration went to the scene to try and calm the situation.
The deputy vice chancellor and several students were hit by brickbats at the scene and injured.
A video spreading on social media showed a man firing a firearm. Another showed locals hacking at a student with a sharp weapon in a rice paddy field.
A journalist at the scene said that, as of 3pm the two sides were still clashing intermittently. Both sides were armed with sticks and rods. They took up positions across from each other and were pelting each other with brickbats.
PROCESSIONS, GATHERINGS ‘BANNED’
The Hathazari Upazila administration imposed Section 144 restrictions after two rounds of clashes between Chittagong University students and local residents.
As a result, all assemblies, rallies, gatherings, and marches at the university and its surrounding areas are banned from 2pm on Sunday.
Fahmun Nabi, staff officer of the Chattogram deputy commissioner, said that the restrictions will remain in place until midnight on Monday.
OVER 150 INJURED
On Saturday night, 30 people received treatment at CHCH. The majority of them were students who left the hospital afterwards.
Sub-Inspector Md Alauddin of the CMCH Police Outpost told bdnews24.com that 84 people came for treatment between noon and 8pm on Sunday.
Chattogram District Civil Surgeon Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said in addition to those at CMCH, 43 people are receiving treatment at the Parkview Hospital and 24 at National Hospital.
Naim Rahman, a seriously injured student from the university's Islamic Studies department, has been admitted to the ICU at National Hospital.
Another student is receiving treatment in the ICU at Parkview. In total, the number of injured is 152.
A total of 300 students received treatment at the university's medical centre on Saturday night and throughout Sunday. Many of them were later sent to CMCH and private hospitals.
Most of the injured were admitted to the casualty and neurosurgery departments of the CMCH. The majority had injuries to their heads, hands, and feet.
CHHATRA LEAGUE AND JUBO LEAGUE’ INVOLVEMENT IN ATTACK
The university's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Kamal Uddin said, "All the Chhatra League and top cadres have beaten them. There were no police there.
“We have spoken with the GOC (General Officer Commanding) and with the home advisor. We have spoken with the Chief Advisor’s Office as well.
"Two hours have passed. Still, no one has come to us. We can no longer control the students. They are still beating us. Around 400 to 500 of our students have been injured."
The university's Registrar Saiful said, "A female student was assaulted by a security guard when she tried to enter her house. This is completely unacceptable.
“To escalate this conflict, Hanif and his group of Chhatra League and Jubo League members have gathered and are trying to destabilise the situation."
Md Ruman Rahman, a student of the Department of Bangladesh Studies, who was admitted to the casualty ward of CMCH on Sunday, told bdnews24.com: “We have never seen the attackers on campus or nearby before. I believe they came from outside or from the village adjacent to the university.”
Linguistics student Fahad said he was hit on the head by a brick. The attackers also assaulted students in the nearby paddy fields, he added.
