CU clash: Jobra village bears scars of violence
Many homes and shops were damaged, including those rented by students
Highlights:
- Students and villagers clashed yesterday, leaving up to 500 people injured
- Shopkeeper Nannu Mia says he lost his entire business to looting during the CU–Jobra clashes
- Over 200 homes and shops in Jobra were damaged, with vehicles torched and livestock looted
- Locals described joint forces standing by for over an hour before finally intervening
- Families hid in fear as homes were vandalised—furniture smashed, chickens stolen, and roofs torn apart
- Residents fear repairing buildings will be easier than healing the deep rift between villagers and students
Five years ago, Nannu Mia opened his small shop beside the model madrasa in Jobra village, near Chittagong University. One side sold breakfast, the other groceries.
A few months ago, Nannu expanded the business with a Tk5 lakh loan from several NGOs. Business had been steady, and he was managing loan repayments.
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Then, on Sunday, everything changed.
During violent clashes between students and local villagers, his shop was vandalised and looted. Nannu now sits bewildered under the weight of unpaid debt.
"I kept my shop closed that morning, but they broke the lock and took everything. Even eleven sacks of rice were carried away by the students. The joint forces stood by without intervening," he told The Business Standard yesterday, sitting in front of his devastated shop with his head in his hands.
The unrest began after a female student on late Saturday was reportedly assaulted by a guard for entering her rented flat near the university's Gate 2.
The same night, confrontations between students and locals escalated. By morning, violence had spread across the campus. Teachers, vice-chancellor, proctors, and students were injured in attacks involving crude weapons. Authorities later reported 400 to 500 people injured.
During the clashes, students were struck while trying to hide in the paddy fields behind Nannu Mia's shop. Aware of the danger, he had kept the shop closed from early morning, yet destruction was unavoidable.
"If I can't repay my loans, I don't know how I will survive," he lamented.
On Monday, Jobra village bore the scars of the clashes.
Many local homes and shops were damaged, including those rented by students. Marks of broken windows and shattered walls were visible across the area. Two students sat outside Nannu Mia's shop, waiting to leave the village.
Broken houses will be fixed, but the distance created between students and villagers will take a long time to heal, said the students, from Narsingdi and Kushtia, who refused to disclose their identities.
Mohiuddin, a day labourer, saw the tin roofs of poor farmers' homes damaged. "We had barely sat down for lunch when the attack began. With two small children, we hid in a sturdy house," he said.
Mohammad Enamul Haq, a guard at a local building, recounted, "The joint forces and hundreds of others were in the village for nearly one and a half hours. Later, the forces removed them."
Community leader Nasir Uddin said, "My home was attacked, my shop looted. Many homes inside the village suffered damage despite our attempts to lock them."
Local Delwara Begum added, "Our fridge was destroyed, chickens stolen, and cabinets broken. We are innocent."
Another local Abdur Rahim said two cows were taken from his shed, though one was later returned and the other recovered by university authorities.
Housewife Lamia Islam accused students of invading her home on Sunday morning before vandalising the house.
Fatepur Union Parishad member Abdul Kader estimated over 200 homes and shops had been damaged.
"A microbus was destroyed, four motorbikes set on fire, four CNG-run auto-rickshaws damaged, one burnt, and a battery-powered rickshaw smashed. Looting took place everywhere," he said.
Attempts to reach Hathazari Model Police Station Officer in-Charge Abu Kawsar Mohammad Hossain were unsuccessful.
Mohammad Russell, additional superintendent of police (DB and industry) and spokesperson for Chattogram District Police, said exact figures were not yet available.
"We will know the extent once victims file complaints," he added.
