Two Chittagong University students remain in critical condition days after the brutal clashes with local villagers, as their families wait in anguish for signs of recovery.
Mamun Mia, a final-year student of Sociology, was on the verge of completing his degree and stepping into working life to support his family. Instead, he now lies in a hospital bed after suffering a devastating machete attack that fractured his skull. The injury was so severe that surgeons were forced to remove a portion of his skull, which is now preserved in a hospital freezer. His head remains wrapped in white bandages marked with the chilling words: “Bone missing, do not press.”
Mamun’s elder brother, Masud Rana, a primary school teacher in Tangail, sat beside him in tears. “Mamun can speak a little, but will he ever return to a normal life? We sent him to university with so much hope, and now that hope is in ruins. Doctors say recovery will take a long time, and even then, his life will be full of restrictions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Imtiaz Ahmed Sayem, a Master’s student of Economics, has yet to regain consciousness nearly 96 hours after undergoing emergency surgery. He was struck on the head with sharp weapons during Sunday’s violence and has been on life support in Parkview Hospital’s ICU ever since. His condition remains critical, though doctors report slight improvement in blood pressure.
His father, Mohammad Amir Hossain, rushed from Bogura upon hearing the news. He has been spending nights in the hospital corridor. Fighting back tears, he said: “I always warned my son not to get into clashes. That night, he told me he was just helping to take injured friends to the hospital. Soon after, I got the call—he was hacked down by these attackers. How can one human do this to another?”
Dr. Sirajul Mostafa, head of Parkview Hospital’s specialized unit, explained: “Sayem suffered deep skull fractures and ruptured blood vessels inside his head. His condition is still very serious. Mamun is improving, but his skull remains stored for now and may be restored in two to three months, if his health stabilizes.”
The violent clashes broke out last Saturday night at Chittagong University’s Gate No. 2, after a female student was allegedly assaulted by a caretaker when trying to enter her rented house late at night. What began as student protests escalated into bloody confrontations with villagers, leaving nearly 400 injured, including CU’s Pro-Vice Chancellor, the Proctor, and many students. At least three students remain on the brink of life and death.
As Mamun and Sayem fight for survival, the campus community grapples with shock, grief, and unanswered questions about how a student protest over dignity and safety turned into a scene of such brutal bloodshed.
