Two people including a local leader for landless people were reportedly killed and 18 injured in Chingrikhali area under Kaliganj upazila in Satkhira district yesterday in a clash over government land.
The deceased were Bairagirchak-Chingrikhali Bhumihin Samity Chairman Ashraf Mir, 65, and his brother-in-law Ishaq Par, 55.
Mir was hailed from Kashibati village while his brother-in-law lived in Baliadanga village.
Sub-Inspector Md Shahidullah of Kaliganj police station said that 446 landless families had been living on 900 Bighas of government land, referred to as Bairagirchak-Chingrikhali Bhumihin Palli, since 2004.
“There was conflict between Mir and supporters of local Karim Par. Par had the backing of Nalta Union Awami League General Secretary Abul Hossain,” he said.
Satkhira’s Bhumihin Samity General Secretary Ali Nur Khan Babul said: “Ashraf led a group of 50-60 armed men in an attack on the land. There were a large number of blasts plunging the area into chaos.”
“On hearing of the attack, Hossain’s people caught Mir, Ishaq and Abu Bakr and handed them to the police after a beating,” he said.
They were taken to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex where the two died while being treated, said Monir Hossain, Superintendent of Police.
Extra police forces were deployed in the area.
The injured had been sent to Satkhira Sadar Hospital and Upazila Health Complex.
The police also claimed they had recovered a pipe gun and three unexploded crude hand bombs from the site of the clash.