Chittagong University Student Assaulted Outside Campus by Student Leader

A Chittagong University student from the management department was allegedly abducted, threatened, and physically assaulted on Thursday by a campus student leader. The victim, identified as Mohammad Rayhan, a first-year student from the 2023-24 academic session, filed a formal written complaint with the university proctor following the ordeal. The incident occurred around 12:30 pm on 9 July near a local brick kiln, an area commonly referred to as the ‘Brickfield’ just outside the university boundaries.

According to the complaint, Al Mamun, the sports secretary of the Chittagong University branch of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party), led the assault alongside five to six associates. Rayhan was reportedly sitting at the university’s central playground when the group approached him under the pretext of verifying his identity. They then forced him off-campus towards the isolated brickfield area, where he was subjected to aggressive interrogation, physical battery, and psychological torment.

The roots of the confrontation trace back to a violent clash on 29 June. A dispute broke out between members of the Brahmanbaria Student Association and Mamun’s followers during the screening of a football match between Brazil and Japan. The altercation quickly escalated into a wider conflict. Mamun reportedly suspected Rayhan of being involved in the incident. Driven by this suspicion, the student leader confiscated Rayhan’s mobile phone at the brickfield, searching through his personal data to force a connection to the earlier brawl. When this yielded no results, the group resorted to physical violence and recorded forced video statements.

Rayhan detailed the terrifying moments during the assault, stating that Mamun and his associates explicitly threatened his life. Before reaching the brick kiln, the attackers stopped near the campus sluice gate, where Mamun placed a phone call to an individual identified as ‘Habib Bhai’ to demonstrate his political backing. At the brickfield, the intimidation intensified.

The attackers demanded to know who led the fight on 29 June, delivering slaps to Rayhan’s face when he did not cooperate. Fearful for his life after Mamun allegedly warned him that they could bury him there without anyone ever knowing, Rayhan named another individual, Fahim, to satisfy his interrogators. The group also threatened to ensure his permanent expulsion from the university before finally letting him go.

When questioned about the allegations, Al Mamun denied any wrongdoing, offering a completely different version of events. He claimed that a group of students had assaulted him near the university railway station on 30 June, and that Rayhan was among those assailants. Mamun admitted to spotting Rayhan at the central playground on Thursday and questioning him regarding the station incident but insisted that no physical violence, death threats, or forced video recordings took place. He labelled the victim’s claims as entirely fabricated.

The university administration has promised a thorough investigation into the matter. The Proctor of Chittagong University, Dr Hossain Shahid Sarwarwardi, confirmed receiving the written complaint from the victim. He stated that the authorities are reviewing the details carefully and will initiate necessary disciplinary actions against those found guilty. The proctor also summoned Rayhan for an evening meeting to assess his security needs and document his testimony further. Campus security and student intimidation remain sensitive issues across public universities, and the administration is under pressure to handle the incident swiftly.