A 60-year-old farmer was allegedly beaten to death during a dispute over possession of government-owned land in Gouripur, Mymensingh, on Saturday morning.
The victim, Mokbul Hossain, died after sustaining a blow to the head with a stick during a confrontation in Charbhakhali village under Bhangnamari Union. His younger brother, Dulal Hossain, 50, was also seriously injured in the alleged attack. Police have detained four women for questioning in connection with the incident.
The confrontation took place on 3 October when Mokbul and Dulal went to cultivate a 16-katha plot of agricultural land and sow black gram. The brothers claimed the land through their ancestral family rights, although local and police sources said the property was recorded as government-owned khas land.
According to local residents and police, the dispute over possession of the land had been continuing between the two sides. When the brothers began cultivation on Saturday morning, four sons of their neighbour Amanat Mia — Babul Mia, Jahangir Mia, Abdur Rashid and Anarul Islam — allegedly objected to their work.
The disagreement reportedly escalated into an altercation. At one stage, Babul allegedly struck Mokbul on the head with a stick he was carrying. Mokbul fell to the ground after the blow.
Dulal alleged that the other brothers subsequently joined the assault and that Mokbul was beaten repeatedly. He said he was also attacked when he tried to intervene and protect his brother.
Family members and local residents later rescued Mokbul and took him to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Doctors there declared him dead after his arrival.
Mokbul’s daughter, Nazma, described the incident as a devastating loss for the family. She said she rushed to the scene but was unable to save her father, alleging that he had been beaten to death.
The incident has brought the long-running question of land possession to the centre of the dispute. The land in question comprises 16 kathas of agricultural property and is reportedly recorded under the government’s khas land register, while Mokbul and Dulal maintained that they had inherited rights to it through their family. The competing claims are expected to form part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
Gouripur police station officer-in-charge Mohammad Habibur Rahman said police had visited the scene after receiving information about the incident. Four women have been detained for questioning regarding the incident, he said.
Police are preparing to register a murder case, according to the officer. Investigators are expected to examine the sequence of events, the alleged assault and the competing claims over the land as part of the legal process.
Dulal remains injured following the confrontation. The police have not yet announced details of any further arrests or confirmed the specific role of those detained.
The case has once again drawn attention to the potential for disputes over agricultural land and possession to escalate into serious violence. The legal status of the disputed property and the evidence gathered during the investigation will be important in determining how the case proceeds.
