BRAHMANBARIA — More than fifty people sustained injuries in Nabinagar upazila on Saturday morning after a bitter, long-standing rivalry between two village factions escalated into a fierce two-hour clash involving lethal traditional weapons.
The violence erupted between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm in Tiyara village, under Bitghar union. What began as a local dispute quickly turned into chaos as factional leaders used mosque loudspeakers to rally hundreds of armed supporters onto the streets.
Root Causes of the Feud and Recent Catalyst
Local law enforcement officials reported that the conflict originates from an ongoing struggle for supremacy between Atiqur Rahman (also known as Shishu Mia) and former Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Abul Hossain Ahmed. Hostilities between their respective supporters have repeatedly spilled over into public brawls in recent months.
The latest clash was triggered on Friday afternoon at approximately 3:30 pm, when two youths aligned with Abul Hossain—18-year-old Apon Mia and 16-year-old Bayezid Ahmed—were returning from a football match in neighbouring Bhadragacha. Upon entering Tiyara village, they were cornered and physically assaulted by men loyal to Atiqur Rahman.
News of the assault spread quickly, sparking retaliatory chases and verbal standoffs at Tiyara market later that afternoon around 5:00 pm.
Public Announcements and Widespread Damage
Tensions reached boiling point on Saturday morning following further arguments at Tiyara market. Rather than seeking police intervention or peaceful arbitration, both factions turned to local mosque loudspeakers to summon their followers to the battleground.
Armed with spears, harpoons, cleavers, daggers, and homemade sharp weapons, hundreds of men rallied to the scene. Over the next two hours, the village descended into severe disorder as supporters attacked, ransacked, and looted shops and residential properties belonging to rival members.
Order was eventually restored after extra police contingents arrived at the scene. At least forty of the injured were admitted to Brahmanbaria General Hospital, whilst others received medical care at the Nabinagar Upazila Health Complex and private local clinics. Hospitalised victims corroborated that the public broadcasts from the mosque minarets directly triggered the mass mobilization.
Prior Casualties and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
The region has seen similar factional violence in recent months. On 1 and 2 June, clashes between supporters of the same two leaders resulted in critical injuries to Iqbal Mia, an associate of former chairman Abul Hossain. Iqbal died on 11 June whilst undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Following his death, the victim’s brother lodged a murder case naming Atiqur Rahman as the prime suspect, along with eight named co-accused and up to 30 unidentified individuals.
Nabinagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Morshed Alam Chowdhury confirmed that additional police units have been deployed throughout Tiyara village to prevent further retaliatory violence. He assured that law enforcement is actively investigating the arson, vandalism, and unlawful assembly. Efforts to reach both Abul Hossain and Atiqur Rahman for comment were unsuccessful, as both had switched off their mobile phones.
