No justice, no access: CU students to shut down Chittagong Hill Tracts over classmate abduction

CHT DESK:

An intense wave of agitation is surging across the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) as students from Chittagong University (CU) have delivered a stern ultimatum: unless their five abducted classmates are released immediately and unconditionally, they will initiate a total blockade of all road access to Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban.

This impending blockade threatens to immobilize the entire CHT region, disrupting essential transportation, halting supply chains, and amplifying political pressure on authorities who have thus far remained conspicuously inert.

The five abducted students—Long Ngi Mro, Aldrin Tripura, Rishon Chakma, Dibbi Chakma, and Moitrimoy Chakma—vanished on the morning of April 16 while returning from Bizu celebrations, the most vibrant and culturally resonant festival of the Chakma community.

They were intercepted and abducted in the Giriful area of Khagrachhari.

Although the Pahari Chatra Parishad (PCP), affiliated with the JSS, has accused the UPDF of orchestrating the abduction, UPDF leadership has repudiated the allegation.

Among the missing students are some of CU’s most dynamic young voices.

Rishon Chakma, a politically active student from the International Relations department; Long Ngi Mro, the bereaved son who became the sole provider for his family; Dibbi Chakma, a compassionate volunteer working in education; and Moitrimoy and Aldrin, artists who passionately documented Jumma identity and struggle.

Despite the gravity of the situation, the authorities’ response has been woefully inadequate, bordering on negligence.

Rescue efforts remain futile, devoid of tangible outcomes.

Families are left in a tormenting limbo, receiving no communication, no assurance—only silence. Accountability remains conspicuously absent, as institutions sidestep responsibility and evade scrutiny.

Now, CU students have converged into a formidable coalition, transcending departments and divisions, and are ready to escalate their protest into a region-wide siege.

In a human chain held on campus on Monday, the agitated protesters said, “Release them or we will shut down the Hills.”

Organizers warned that if no credible action is taken within 24 hours, they will enforce a complete road blockade, choking off access to and from the three hill districts.

Such a move could result in catastrophic logistical paralysis, impacting commerce, emergency services, and tourism—one of the region’s primary economic lifelines.

This is no longer merely about disruption; it is a fight for survival, a declaration of solidarity, and an urgent act of reclaiming silenced voices, said a protester.

“The government’s silence is a tacit betrayal,” said another demonstrator.

“We will not sit idle while our classmates languish in the shadows. The blockade is not a threat—it’s a promise.”