CU CORRESPONDENT
A violent confrontation involving a sharp weapon left a student injured at Chittagong University’s (CU) Shahid Farhad Hossain Hall on Friday afternoon. The incident, described by witnesses as a “scissor attack,” has resulted in the temporary suspension of several students from the dormitory.
The violence broke out around 5:00 PM during a heated argument involving students from different departments. According to the university’s proctorial body and eyewitness accounts, Abrar Jahin Labeeb, a student of the Communication and Journalism Department (2023-24), allegedly brandished a pair of scissors and attacked those present.
Sifatur Rahman Sifat, student of Communication adn Journalism (2023-24) alleged that Labeeb had been threatening the buyer and exhibited “indecent behavior” upon arriving at the hall. “He was thumping the table, using abusive language, and was the first to initiate physical contact,” Sifat claimed. “Eventually, he attacked Sajjad Bhai with the scissors.”
Labeeb has countered the allegations of an unprovoked attack, maintaining that he was the victim of a mob. “I acted in self-defense,” Labeeb claimed. “I brought the scissors from my room only because I felt my safety was at risk after they (the seniors) started beating me.”
Sajjad Hossain, a Master’s student in the Finance Department (2020-21) and Joint Secretary of the CU Chhatra Dal, sustained lacerations to his hand while attempting to disarm and restrain Labeeb.
However, the Hall Provost noted that Labeeb’s behavior was “unusual and aggressive” during the encounter, which preceded the physical escalation.
The victim, Sajjad Hossain, was unavailable for comment and refused to provide a statement despite several attempts to reach him.
The underlying cause of the friction was a financial dispute regarding a motorcycle sold by Mahin Zaman, a Master’s student in Economics (2019-20). The bike was sold for BDT 45,500, but a BDT 2,500 balance remained unpaid.
While Mahin and his associates alleged that Labeeb was aggressively refusing to settle the debt, Labeeb argued that mechanical failures justified a waiver. He claimed a middleman, Sifat (2023-24), had assured him the final payment would not be required due to the bike’s poor condition.
According to the University Medical Center’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Abu Tayyab, the injured student received immediate first aid. The official confirmed that the victim’s hand was bandaged after treating the laceration caused by the scissors.
The situation deepened following the attack when the CU proctorial team searched Labeeb’s room. Assistant Proctor Nurul Hamid Kanon confirmed that suspicious items, suspected to be drug-consuming apparatus, were recovered from a drawer.
“These have been sent for forensic testing,” Kanon stated. “Administrative and legal actions will be determined based on the forensic report.” Labeeb denied the drug allegations, claiming he had collected the items from hall corridors to present to the administration as evidence of drug issues within the facility.
The university administration has taken immediate action by barring the involved students from the hall until a formal Disciplinary Committee hearing on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the student body emphasized that the use of a weapon is inexcusable, stating, “No one has the right to take the law into their own hands, regardless of their political or student identity. The university will take strict action according to the established regulations.”