'Don’t Press, No Bones'

A haunting image of Mohammad Mamun Mia, a 2020-21 session student of Chittagong University’s (CU) Sociology Department, has gone viral on social media, intensifying outrage over the recent violent clashes between CU students and residents of Jobra village. The photograph shows a bandage on Mamun’s head with the chilling note, “No bones, don’t press,” a precaution due to the absence of part of his skull following severe injuries sustained during the August 31 violence.
Mamun, who was on life support for three days, was shifted to a cabin at Parkview Hospital in Chattogram on Wednesday after showing signs of improvement. During the attack, assailants struck the back of his head with a sharp weapon, targeting the brain area. Surgeons removed 13 bone fragments during an operation, and his skull fragments have been preserved in a freezer for reimplantation in two months, pending his recovery. Mamun also suffered nasal and oral bleeding, as well as a ruptured eardrum.
The image has sparked widespread anger among students, with friends and peers sharing it to demand justice. Rasel Rana, a classmate, told The Daily Campus, “Mamun’s condition is improving. He has been moved to a cabin and is attempting to communicate through gestures. His skull was shattered into pieces, and there was internal bleeding, necessitating surgery on the brain area.”
Mahfuzur Rahman, central joint convener of Bangladesh Democratic Student Council, shared the image on social media, writing, “Latest update on my younger brother Mamun. But for some media, the tin roofs of local miscreants seem more important than Mamun’s shattered skull.” 
Aryan Khan Rakib, a student of Islamic Studies, condemned the attackers, stating, “The words ‘No bones, don’t press’ reveal the barbarity of those who brutally attacked students despite being in proximity to a university. We demand the swift arrest and punishment of the perpetrators.” The image has been widely shared, amplifying calls for accountability.
Ziauddin, General Manager of Parkview Hospital, confirmed Mamun’s condition, saying, “He has regained consciousness and is under treatment in a cabin. Due to the surgery on his brain area, his skull has been temporarily removed and preserved. It will be reimplanted in one to two months, depending on his condition.”
The clashes, which injured at least 240 people, were triggered by an alleged assault on a female student on August 30 and escalated the following day. The university administration has filed an attempted murder case against 95 named and 1,000 unidentified individuals, with eight arrests made so far. As Mamun’s image continues to circulate, students and activists are pressing for justice and enhanced campus security to prevent such incidents in the future.