6 People Including 5 CU Students Kidnapped While Returning from Biju Festival

Local Correspondent

Five students from the University of Chittagong (CU) and one other person were kidnapped in Khagrachhari while returning from Biju festival celebrations. The abduction occurred Wednesday morning (April 16) from Giriful area on the Panchhari-Khagrachhari road.

The Hill Students Council (PCP) has accused the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) led by Prasit Khisa of responsibility. Family members, after staging demonstrations at various locations, remain clueless about their children’s whereabouts.

PCP central president Nipun Tripura stated that five indigenous CU students were kidnapped while returning to campus after Biju celebrations. Among them is PCP member Rishan Chakma from the International Relations department. Other victims include Maitri Moy Chakma and Aldrin Tripura (Fine Arts Institute), Divya Chakma (Theater Arts), and Longgi Mro (Zoology) – all 2023-24 batch students. The kidnappers also took the auto-rickshaw driver transporting them.

Sources indicate the students had attended Biju festival in Baghaichhari and planned to return via Khagrachhari to CU on Tuesday night. Unable to secure bus tickets, they stayed at a relative’s house in Kukichhara before being abducted during their Wednesday morning journey.

UPDF Khagrachhari organizer Angya Marma denied involvement: “We don’t engage in vengeful politics. Some quarters are conspiring to blame us. We too seek the victims’ recovery.”

Khagrachhari Police Superintendent Md. Arefin Jewel confirmed investigating the abduction, suspecting involvement of a regional hill organization. “We’re using technology to locate them,” he stated.