At least 50 people in Bishwanath upazila, Sylhet were injured, 20 of whom were hit by bullets, in a clash between the followers of two local influentials over a long-standing dispute yesterday.
Sources said followers of former Rampasha union parishad chairman Azizur Rahman and Bashar-Miah-Emdadul Haque duo, local arbitrators from the upazila’s Aamtoil village, in Aamtoil Bazar got into an altercation over the ownership of a plot in Chhararpar area in Sylhet yesterday afternoon, which eventually led to the violent clash just before iftar.
The clash resulted in injuries of 50 people while several autorickshaws were vandalised. Receiving word about the clash, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Most of the injured were sent to the upazila health complex; the severely wounded victims were sent to Osmani Medical College Hospital in Sylhet city.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Muhammad Asadul Haque, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Sohel Mahmud, Bushwanath police OC Rafiqul Hossain and Rampasha UP Chairman Anowar Khan visited the clash site later in the evening.
Speaking to this correspondent, Aamtoil arbitrators Bashar and Emdad claimed Azizur Rahman’s men attacked their men over the land dispute – the land that belonged to the villagers.
“The sudden attack injured a lot of people. At least 20 of our men were hit by bullets.”