2 CU students injured in attack over extortion dispute

Two Chittagong University (CU) students were injured in an attack by local miscreants for refusing to pay extortion money. The incident took place around 11 a.m. on Friday near the university’s railway station area.

The injured students, Zubair Ahmed Jihan and Atikul Islam Sifat, both first-year students at the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, were working on constructing a shop when the attack occurred.

According to eyewitnesses, Sahajuddin Babu, office assistant of CU’s Development Studies Department, along with locals Nazrul and Shibli, demanded Tk 30,000 from the students for setting up the shop, claiming they had leased the railway land. However, the students said they had rented the space from a different individual. A dispute escalated into a physical altercation, during which both students were assaulted.

Sifat said, “While working on the shop, several individuals claimed ownership of the land and demanded Tk 30,000. When we refused, they attacked us. I was punched in the head, and Jihan’s nose was broken.”

Dr. Saida Akhtar Shahnaz of CU Medical Center confirmed that one student was referred to Chittagong Medical College due to excessive bleeding from the nose, while the other received first aid.

Denying involvement in the attack, Sahajuddin Babu said, “We did not demand any money. I visited the site to inquire about the sudden construction of the shop’s tin shed. I am not involved in the assault.”

Assistant Proctor Nur Hamid Kanan said the disputed land belongs to the railway, and tensions have existed over it for some time. “A harmony committee had been formed earlier. If the injured students wish to file a case, the university administration will provide full support.”

Following the incident, agitated students locked the university’s main gate at noon in protest, reopening it around 5 p.m.