An elderly mother, two sons, and one son's wife fell victim to torture tied to a tree over a land dispute in Pundura village in Madhupur upazila of Tangail on Tuesday.
Police came to their rescue when the family members managed to call the national emergency hotline 999.
The victims are Shafia Begum, 55, wife of the late Nurul Islam, elder son Alamgir Hossain, younger son Jubbar Ali, and Alamgir's wife Josna Begum.
Alamgir is currently undergoing treatment at Mymensingh Medical Centre, while Shafia and Josna are receiving care at Madhupur Upazila Health Complex.
Local accounts suggest a longstanding land dispute between Alamgir and Jubbar with Kalu Mia Sheikh and his brothers over a 1.19-acre piece of land. Tensions escalated recently, snowballing into a conflict after January 29, 2023, when Alamgir and Jubbar secured ownership papers for the land, and all related taxes were dismissed.
In response, Kalu Mia and his brothers, Ajgar and Samad, invoked Section 144 in claiming ownership of the land. Alamgir and Jubbar challenged Section 144 in court, presenting their documents.
Over the past week, tension had been brewing between the two families.
On Tuesday morning, Kalu Mia and others began constructing a house on the disputed land. When Alamgir and Jubbar tried to intervene, they were physically assaulted and subsequently tied to a tree. Upon the arrival of the rest of Alamgir and Jubbar's family members attempting to intervene, they too were subjected to the same ordeal.
In this situation, the police were informed by phone, but as they did not arrive quickly, one of the victims managed to call 999 and ask for help. Later, Madhupur police came and rescued them.
Witnesses reported that Ward Councilor Harun Or Rashid, along with locals, made efforts to mediate between the conflicting parties.
Confirming the incident, Madhupur police station Officer-in-charge (OC) Mollah Azizur Rahman said that no formal complaint had been lodged, and as a result, no case had been filed.
He added that both parties were summoned, and Section 144 had been imposed, prohibiting them from accessing the land to maintain peace until the dispute resolution process is concluded.
