C T Online Desk: At least 20 students were injured when the shuttle train on its way from the city to Chittagong University (CU) hit a tree.
As a result, agitated students gathered in front of the vice-chancellor’s residence around 11pm on Thursday and staged a protest by vandalizing and setting fire. They demanded a new compartment of the shuttle train.
The accident took place around 8:30pm on Thursday after colliding with a leaning tree in Chowdhury Hat area.
Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost Sub Inspector (SI) Nurul Alam Ashiq said: “Several students on the roof of the train were injured after hitting the tree branches. 16 injured students are being treated at CMCH. Eight people were admitted in the hospital’s casualty ward and eight in the neuro surgery ward.”
As soon as the shuttle train reached the campus, the students got down and blocked the main gate of the university. The students protested the injury to the administration by lighting a fire and demanded that the coach of the shuttle train be increased. Besides, students vandalized the police box located at zero point.
In this situation, CU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Shireen Akhter visited the injured students under treatment at around 12am at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. She inquired about the treatment of the injured students and talked to the hospital authorities to ensure that there is no error in the treatment.
Nuruzzaman, a first-year student of public administration department, said that because there was no space inside the shuttle train, the students travelled on the roof. A few days ago, the slope of a tree in Chowdhury Hat area became slightly tilted. Three students on the roof were also injured on Thursday afternoon.
Assistant Proctor of Chittagong University Dr Md Morshedul Alam said: “Around 15-20 people have been injured while coming to CU campus from Chittagong city on the roof of the shuttle train at night as a tree brushed against the roof of the train.”
Currently, two shuttle trains are running from Chittagong city to Chittagong University campus 14 times a day. Each shuttle train has ten coaches. However, as there are fewer compartments in comparison student capacity, many students travel on the roof of the train.
