At least 18 people from both sides have been injured in a clash between residents of two villages in Singra, Natore, over a dispute about the land of an Eidgah ground.
The clash took place at about 10:30am on Friday (September 25) at Pachlaruya bazar in Hatiandaha union of the upazila.
The injured are Mahfuz, 44, Kausar, 26, Mostafa, 44, Aynal Haque, 50, Swadhin, 17, Yasin Ali, 21, Abdur Razzak, 40, Sabuj Ali, 22, Mozahar, 50, Ashraful, 60, Abul Kashem, 61, and Islam, 45, of Pachlaruya village; and former union parishad member Mostafa, 55, Shahin, 50, Monirul, 25, Rabiul, 35, Nasir, 45, and Belal Hossain, 45, of Natunbasti village.
According to police and eyewitnesses, a dispute recently arose between the residents of Pachlaruya and neighbouring Natunbasti over the land of the Pachlaruya Eidgah ground. Local leaders tried several times to settle it, but the dispute flared again when a boundary wall was being built around the Eidgah.
As a result, about a hundred people from Natunbasti village attacked Pachlaruya bazar on Friday morning, led by Mostafa, a former member for Ward 6 and an Awami League leader, according to witnesses. At least six shops at the bazar were reportedly vandalised.
Twelve people from Pachlaruya and six from Natunbasti were injured. Four in a critical condition were sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, and the rest were admitted to Singra upazila health complex, Natore Sadar Hospital and other hospitals.
When Mostafa, the former Ward 6 member and Awami League leader said to have led the attack, was called on his mobile phone, his brother Rezaul Islam answered. “Natunbasti graveyard is next to the Pachlaruya Eidgah ground,” he said. “The clash happened because the Eidgah’s boundary wall went into the graveyard.”
Saiful Islam, president of the Pachlaruya Eidgah committee, said the Eidgah owns 38 decimals of recorded land on RS plot 1682. When they went to work on the Eidgah on that land, more than a hundred people wearing helmets, led by former member and Awami League leader Mostafa, launched a surprise attack on them, he said.
“This clash between the residents of two villages was over the land of the Eidgah ground,” said Singra police station officer-in-charge Rafiqul Islam. “Police were sent to the scene on receiving the news. The situation is calm now.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report