In Feni’s Chhagalnaiya Upazila, a violent confrontation over the unauthorised excavation of agricultural soil has resulted in the death of 37-year-old Abu Ahmad, a local Jubo Dal activist. Two other individuals were seriously injured during the incident.
The clash occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, 14 March, near the Contractor Mosque area in East Shilua, within the Pathannagar Union. Locals reported that Abu Ahmad, the son of Abul Kashem from East Shimulia, was a prominent youth leader actively involved in Jubo Dal activities.
The injured parties have been identified as Alaa Uddin Sujon, 30, son of Zainal Abedin from East Pathannagar, and the deceased’s elder brother, Nurul Alam Kala, 40. Following the incident, seven individuals, including leaders of Chhatra Dal, have been detained by local police for questioning.
According to police and eyewitness accounts, the incident stems from ongoing tensions between two factions of the BNP in the area. For several weeks, in defiance of the Upazila administration’s prohibitions, soil was being extracted clandestinely from farmland under the cover of night. The confrontation escalated during the early hours of Saturday, resulting in three people being severely injured.
All victims were rushed to Feni 250-Bed General Hospital. Medical staff declared Abu Ahmad dead upon arrival. Sujon was transferred to Dhaka for advanced medical care due to the severity of his injuries, while Nurul Alam Kala remains under treatment at Feni General Hospital.
| Name | Age | Address | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Ahmad | 37 | East Shimulia, Chhagalnaiya | Deceased |
| Alaa Uddin Sujon | 30 | East Pathannagar, Chhagalnaiya | Seriously injured, transferred to Dhaka |
| Nurul Alam Kala | 40 | East Shimulia, Chhagalnaiya | Hospitalised, stable |
Chhagalnaiya police officer-in-charge, Mohammad Shaheen Mia, said: “A dispute over soil excavation escalated into a violent clash. One individual was killed and two were injured. The deceased’s body has been sent to Feni 250-Bed General Hospital morgue for post-mortem examination. The victim’s wife is preparing to file a formal complaint at the police station.”
Several local BNP leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that recently the local Member of Parliament, Rafiqul Alam Majnu, had taken a strict stance to halt unauthorised soil extraction. Nevertheless, some local leaders and members of BNP, Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal, and their affiliate organisations allegedly continued to remove soil at night using excavators, transporting it to nearby brick kilns.
However, Mohammad Alomgir, member-secretary of Chhagalnaiya Upazila BNP, strongly denied any involvement: “The deceased had no affiliation with BNP or its wings. No BNP personnel were involved in the nocturnal soil excavation. Various criminal elements took advantage of administrative inaction to engage in these activities.”
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the clash and the identities of those responsible for the violence. The incident has heightened tensions in the area, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of land-use regulations.