No Trace of 5 Abducted CU Students in Khagrachari Even After 5 Days

Local Correspondent

Five students from Chittagong University (CU) abducted from Khagrachari remain untraced even after five days. As of Sunday morning, April 20, no progress has been made in rescuing the students, despite ongoing operations by security forces.

In response, the “Khagrachari Indigenous Students Society” has called for protests, processions, and rallies in various locations across the three hill districts—Khagrachari, Rangamati, and Bandarban—from 10 a.m.

Earlier, unconditional release demands were raised by the Hill Student Council supported by the JSS (Jana Sanghati Samiti), university and college students from the hill tracts, and the families of the abducted students.

On April 16, Wednesday, after attending the Biju Festival, CU students Rishon Chakma, Maitrimoy Chakma, Dibby Chakma, Longi Mro, and Aldrin Tripura were abducted on their way back to Chittagong.

The central president of the Hill Student Council, Nipon Tripura, has held the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) responsible for the incident. However, UPDF’s Khagrachari district organizer, Ongga Marma, has denied the allegation.

Khagrachari Superintendent of Police Md. Arefin Jewel stated, “Efforts are ongoing to locate the abductees using technology. Operations to rescue them are continuing.”

Two Mobile Tower Technicians Abducted Amid U.S. Warning on Hill Tract Security Risks

Amid a U.S. advisory against travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts due to security risks, two mobile tower technicians were abducted at gunpoint in Manikchhari, Khagrachari.

The incident occurred on April 19, Saturday, around noon in Mayurkheel, near a regional road in Manikchhari Upazila.

The abducted technicians were identified as Md. Ismail Hossain (35) and Abre Marma (25).

According to the abductees’ relatives and locals, the technicians were repairing a mobile tower in Mayurkheel when armed individuals forced them off their motorbike and took them to an unknown location. No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction yet.

Locals speculate that this abduction is linked to the recent tensions in the hill region.

Sheikh Mahmudul Hasan Rubel, the Officer-in-Charge of Manikchhari Police Station, said, “We’ve heard about the abduction of two technicians, but no missing diary or formal complaint has been filed yet.”

Background of Security Issues in the Hill Tracts

On January 22, eight mobile network towers in Dighinala, Manikchhari, and Matiranga in Khagrachari were vandalized and set on fire by unidentified individuals.

U.S. Embassy Issues Travel Advisory Amid Security Risks

The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka has advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Khagrachari, Rangamati, and Bandarban due to risks including crime, terrorism, and abductions in the hill tracts.

In a travel advisory issued on Friday, the embassy mentioned increased instability and violence during the interim government period, cautioning that “there is a risk of terrorist attacks in Bangladesh.” The embassy has urged U.S. citizens to reconsider traveling to Bangladesh.

The advisory categorizes Bangladesh as Level 3 and the Chittagong Hill Tracts as Level 4.

Diplomatic circles believe the advisory could harm Bangladesh’s international standing, citing the recent surge in abductions and terrorist activities in the region as the basis for the embassy’s caution.

The advisory warns of growing security risks in Bangladesh and urges U.S. government employees to avoid unnecessary travel outside diplomatic zones. Travel outside Dhaka requires special approval.