Attacks on Students at CU and BAU Spark Unrest in Universities

Armed attacks by locals and outsiders on students at Chittagong University (CU) and Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) have raised serious concerns in the country’s academic community. Alongside CU and BAU, tensions have also emerged at Rajshahi University (RU) in the context of student council elections.

The incidents began on Saturday night (August 30) when local residents clashed with students following the assault of a guard at a rented dormitory on the CU campus. The next day, at least 1,500 students were injured in armed attacks by locals, with over a hundred sustaining serious injuries. Among the critically injured, Raju and Naimul Islam were admitted to the ICU. The Hathazari Upazila administration imposed Section 144 to try to control the situation.

Dr. Farhana Yasmin, Senior Medical Officer at CU Medical Center, stated that the injured students received primary treatment on campus buses, and the severely injured were sent to Chittagong Medical College (CMCH) Hospital. In total, more than 1,500 students received initial medical attention, with over a hundred seriously injured.

On Sunday night around 7:45 pm, at BAU, during a protest by students of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science demanding a combined degree, outsiders armed with sticks and local weapons attacked the students in the presence of the district SP and DC. At least 10 people, including journalists, were injured in this attack. Following the incident, the university was closed indefinitely, and students were instructed to vacate the dormitories.