Vandalism at CU: two cases lodged, over 500 sued

Two separate cases were filed on Saturday night accusing over 500 people in connection with the vandalism at the bungalow of Chittagong University (CU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) and buses of the transport department after 20 students sustained injuries when they fell off a university-bound train's roof on Thursday night.

The university's Acting Registrar KM Nur Ahmed and Security Officer Sheikh Md Abdur Razzaque filed the cases on behalf of the university respectively. 

Abu Taiyeb Md Arif Hossain, additional superintendent of district police, confirmed the development saying that the cases were filed with Hathazari police station over allegations of extortion and torching buses. 

In the cases, 14 were named as accused and 400-500 unidentified were accused, he said. 

Earlier on Thursday night, 20 students were injured after being hit by a branch of a tree when they were returning to campus from Chattogram City, riding on the train's roof due to overcrowding.

Sixteen of the injured students were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

As per the regular schedule, the university-bound shuttle train carrying over 2,000 students left the city's New Market Station At 8:30 pm on Thursday.

Risking lives, some students were seen riding on the train's roof due to a lack of seats.

As the train arrived in the Fatehabad area under Hathazari upazila, some students fell off the train after being hit by a branch of a tree which was hanging low due to rain.  

Enraged by the incident, the CU students vandalised the campus police outpost, and shops, and set tyres on fire in front of the Zero Point at the university.

At one stage, they also moved to the bungalow of the university's VC, went on a rampage there and torched buses, creating panic on the campus.

On Friday, VC Prof Dr Shireen Akthter held a press conference on the campus alleging that some miscreants carried out the vandalism and torched the buses.