At least 40 houses were allegedly looted for three consecutive days in Nijgaon village of Shalla Upazila in Sunamganj after a man was killed in a clash over a land dispute, with affected families claiming that goods worth over Tk50 lakh were stolen.
With adult male members of the accused faction fleeing the village, women and children left behind are living in fear and insecurity.
The incident took place in Atgaon Union. On October 31, a dispute over possession of a plot beside a house between villagers Rup Mia and Azab Mia escalated into a clash involving locally made weapons, leaving Abdul Mannan, 65, dead and at least 20 people injured on both sides.
Villagers said the two groups had been at odds for a long time over a piece of fallow land on the eastern side of the village. Tensions resurfaced after water receded from the haor and the land became accessible.
Following Mannan’s death, around 40 families belonging to Azab Mia’s group reportedly left the village, fearing arrest and retaliatory attacks. Their women and children initially remained at home but later locked their houses and took shelter with relatives in neighbouring villages after Mannan’s burial.
The affected families alleged that members of the rival group began attacking, vandalising and looting their homes from the evening of October 31, continuing for three days. They also accused the attackers of setting fire to haystacks used as cattle feed.
According to their estimates, the looted goods include 67 cattle, five power tillers, two motorcycles, five submersible water pumps, 20 diesel-powered irrigation machines, two paddy threshers, hundreds of sacks of seed paddy, 400 maunds of stored rice, two refrigerators, 12 gas stoves and cylinders, Tk5 lakh in cash and three bhori of gold jewellery.
Ducks, chickens, boats, furniture and household utensils were also allegedly taken. The families estimated the total loss at more than Tk50 lakh.
An elderly woman, requesting anonymity, said she had stayed home at the risk of her life to protect her belongings. She alleged that people from the rival group kicked her door and verbally abused her at night, but she was too frightened to open it. Two machines belonging to her sons, four cows and a boat were taken, she claimed.
Asmina Begum, wife of Masum Mia, said she found her house almost completely empty when she returned. She alleged that 400 maunds of paddy, 20 maunds of rice, three bhori of gold, 17 cattle, Tk5 lakh in cash and household appliances had been looted.
Lima Akter said no adult men from Azab Mia’s group remained in the village. Cattle, paddy and rice had been taken from their deserted homes, leaving them without even a glass to drink water from, she said.
Mahmuda Akter, sister of villager Elim Uddin, alleged that the looting began shortly after Mannan’s burial. Women and children were threatened and abused as their belongings were taken away. Poor road access and the absence of male family members had also prevented them from filing complaints with the police, she added.
However, Rup Mia, a cousin of the deceased, denied the allegations of looting. He claimed the disputed land was their ancestral property and that his family had documents proving his father's ownership. He alleged that Azab Ali had been trying to occupy the land without valid documents.
Rup Mia also claimed that members of Azab Ali’s group attacked them on October 31, killing his elder brother Abdul Mannan and injuring around 30 members of their group, including women and children. He said he was also injured in the head and leg and had been bedridden since the incident.
Atgaon Union Parishad Chairman Abdullah Al Noman confirmed that houses belonging to Azab Mia’s group were attacked and looted after the clash and Mannan’s burial. However, he said he could not identify those responsible. Affected families had informed him about the theft of paddy, rice, power tillers, irrigation equipment and household items.
He said the village was in a remote area bordering Khaliajuri Upazila of Netrokona, where poor road access makes it difficult to reach the area quickly. It takes three to four hours to get there by tractor or trolley, he added.
Shalla Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Suhel said police reached the village after the clash, but some untoward incidents had occurred before their arrival. Police have been deployed at the village market and efforts are underway to keep the situation under control.
He said police had received reports of incidents at night but could not visit every house because of the village's difficult terrain.
No formal complaint over the alleged looting has been filed so far, the OC said, adding that legal action would be taken if any complaint was received.
