A joint operation is ongoing in Khagrachari district to rescue five students from Chittagong University who were abducted on Wednesday. The operation, led by security forces, began at dawn on Friday and is targeting specific areas including Madhupur, Pankhaiya Para, Chabai Road, and Noapara, according to Khagrachari’s Superintendent of Police, Mohammad Arefin Jewel.

Security forces have been seen patrolling these areas, and suspects have been questioned as part of the investigation. Speaking about the ongoing efforts, SP Arefin Jewel stated, "We are making every effort to rescue the abducted students. Additionally, we have set up checkpoints on key roads including Khagrachari-Chittagong, Khagrachari-Dhaka, and Khagrachari-Rangamati. The operation will continue."

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning when the students were en route from Khagrachari to Chittagong. They were abducted from the Giriful area of Khagrachari district. The victims include Rishon Chakma, a member of the Chittagong University branch of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS)-backed Hill Students’ Council (HSC), and his four friends: Maitrimoy Chakma, a student of the university's Fine Arts Department; Dibya Chakma, a student of the Drama Department; Longngi Mro, a student of the Zoology Department; and Oldrin Tripura, a student of the Fine Arts Department. All five students are enrolled in the 2023-24 academic session at Chittagong University.

Abdul Baten Mridha, the Officer-in-Charge of Khagrachari Sadar Police Station, confirmed that no formal case has been filed yet regarding the incident.

The central president of the HSC, Nipon Tripura, has blamed the United Peoples’ Democratic Front (UPDF), a regional political group, for the abduction. However, the UPDF's district organizer, Ongya Marma, has denied the allegations of kidnapping.

Meanwhile, the Hill Students’ Council, the relatives of the abducted students, and several other student groups have demanded the unconditional release of the students, urging that they be freed unharmed.