Two students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) drowned while bathing in a pond on the university campus on Wednesday.
The incident occurred around 1:30pm in the pond beside Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall.
The deceased were Shanto Deb, a student of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Arnab Dutta, from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Both were students of the 2024-25 academic session.
CUET Public Relations Officer Aydedth Ibne Monju confirmed the deaths to TIMES of Bangladesh.
According to teachers and students, Shanto and Arnab had gone to the pond with several friends to bathe. At one point, the two drowned.
Other students rescued them from the pond and took them to the CUET Medical Centre. They were later shifted to Evercare Hospital Chattogram, where doctors declared them dead.
Mehedi Hasan, a student of the Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from the same academic session, said one of the students was rescued around 8-10 minutes after drowning, while the other was recovered around 40-50 minutes later.
“Both were initially taken to the university medical centre. Later, they were taken to Evercare Hospital, where doctors declared them dead,” he said.
Professor Saiful Islam, director of CUET’s Department of Student Welfare, also confirmed the deaths.
He said the university authorities had informed the families of the deceased and would take further steps in consultation with them.
The incident has raised fresh concerns as another CUET student drowned in the same pond less than a month ago.
On 28 July, Arnab Saha, a fourth-year student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, drowned in the pond.
