Dhaka-Chattogram highway blocked for 1.5 hours in protest of Apratim's murder - Prothom Alo English

Comilla University students protest by blocking the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the Nandanpur area of Kotbari Bishwa Road, Cumilla on 20 September 2026Prothom AloStudents of Comilla University have blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway and staged protests demanding justice for the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Apratim and the immediate arrest of those involved in the killing.

After Apratim’s first namaz-e-janaza) at the Comilla University’s central field at 10:00 am on Sunday, the students marched to the Kotbari area of the highway.

At that time, they chanted various slogans. Around 11:30 am, the students took positions on both lanes of the highway in the Nandanpur area of Kotbari Bishwa Road and staged a protest. They left the highway at 12:50 pm after giving a 24-hour ultimatum for the arrest of those involved in the murder.

The blockade and protest caused a long tailback on the highway.

Farha Khanam, a 2021–22 academic-year student of the Bangla Department who took part in the protest, said they had come to the highway demanding justice for Apratim’s murder and improvement in Cumilla’s law and order situation.

Anjan Roy, a 2020–21 academic-year student of the Bangla Department, said they had not received detailed information from the authorities regarding the murder even though Apratim’s janaza had already been held.

“We want clear information. We do not want a press briefing sitting in an air-conditioned room. The press briefing must be held at the field level, in front of the students. They have to come and brief us in person,” he said.

University Proctor Abdul Hakim told Prothom Alo that law enforcement agencies had detained several people suspecting their involvement in the murder shortly after Apratim’s body was recovered.

The iPhone linked to the murder had also been recovered, he said. When the students were requested to leave the highway, they lifted the blockade after issuing a 24-hour ultimatum.

Police recovered Apratim’s body on Saturday afternoon from a secluded area in the Lalmai hills in Sananda village of Bijoypur union in Sadar Dakshin upazila of Cumilla.

Before that, he had gone missing after leaving home on Friday afternoon with his mother’s iPhone. A suspect was detained based on CCTV footage and Apratim’s mother’s iPhone was later recovered.

Three people have so far been detained in connection with the incident.

Apratim’s second janaza was held at the Gandhamati Eidgah ground in Kotbari around 11:00 am on Sunday. He was later buried at a local cemetery.