Man killed as rival groups clash in Brahmanbaria

A man was killed in a clash between two rival groups in Natai village under Brahmanbaria's Sadar upazila.

The deceased, Niazul Hossain, 52, was a resident of the village and served as the president of the Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila CNG-run Auto-Rickshaw Owners' Association, police said.

Quoting locals, Md Mozzafor Hossain, officer-in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Police Station, said there had been a longstanding dispute between two groups — known locally as the Chand group and the Solim group — over establishing dominance in the area.

The clash began on Monday night when a member of the Solim group, along with several others, was allegedly consuming drugs at the house of a supporter of the Chand group. A chase and counter-chase ensued between the two sides over the incident.

Later that night, members of the Chand group allegedly attacked Anwar Hossain, a supporter of the Solim group, in retaliation. He was admitted to Brahmanbaria General Hospital.

On Tuesday morning, both groups armed with sharp weapons and homemade firearms engaged in another clash, leaving at least 15 people injured. During the violence, 10 to 12 houses were vandalised.

The situation further escalated on Wednesday afternoon as fresh violence broke out once more. Several handmade bombs were reportedly detonated during the clash.

Niazul, a member of the Chand group, sustained serious injuries in the conflict and was rushed to Brahmanbaria General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries around 6:15pm the same day, said the OC.

"My brother was not involved in any feud. He was targeted simply for his strong anti-drug stance," said his brother, Masud Miah.

OC Mozzafor Hossain added that several suspects were detained Thursday morning, and police are working to identify others involved in the violence.