A group allegedly led by the personal assistant of a Patuakhali lawmaker stabbed the three sons of the owner of a fish enclosure when they protested the group's occupation of the enclosure in the district's Kalapara upazila on Thursday evening.

The stab victims were owner Mahbubur Rahman's sons Nur Bahadur, 40, Md. Sohel, 35, and Juwel, 32, and the incident took place at Kawer Char in Dhulasar union's Chapli area, our Patuakhali correspondent reports quoting police and the family.

Talking to our Patuakhali correspondent, Sohel said they set up a fish and crab enclosure on around 30 acres of land of Kawer Char area several years back but recently Tariqul Islam, personal assistant of lawmaker for Patuakhali-4  Md Mohibbur Rahman, along with his men forcibly attempted to occupy it to loot fish and crabs.

"We informed police of the matter," he said.

Officer-in-charge (investigation) of Mahipur Police Station Mahbubur Rahman said a police team was sent to the spot after hearing the incident and the OC also said three or four people were stabbed there.

A case was filed in this regard today and they are taking lawful steps after proper investigation, the police official said.

Police have already arrested a man named Shahin in connection with the case, the OC added.

Sohel said Tariqul, with at least 30 others, assaulted them with sticks and sharp weapons around 7:00pm on Thursday and attacked again when they were on their way to the Kalapara upazila Health Complex.

Of the three, Nur Bahadur is in critical condition, their father and owner of the enclosure Mahbubur said.

All three injured were shifted to Barishal Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital last night from the upazila health complex, said Mahbubur, adding that the SBMCH referred them to Dhaka for better treatment today.

When contacted, Tariqul denied the allegation, saying that he had just reached Kalapara from Dhaka on Thursday evening and that false charges were being levelled against him.

He added that his house is in the same area as Sohel's uncle Mashiur Howalder, who was the unsuccessful candidate for the secretary post of the union Awami League council last year, and the family blamed Tariqul for his failure.