Violence Grips Padma Char Region

A sustained wave of armed clashes and territorial struggles has engulfed the vast Padma char belt in Natore’s Lalpur upazila, where multiple armed groups have long been vying for control over sand extraction sites, river routes, and fertile farmland. Among these factions, a group locally known as the “Kakon Bahini” has emerged as the most feared, with residents describing the entire char region as effectively living under a climate of constant intimidation.

According to local accounts, at least seven people have been killed in the past nine months alone amid recurring shootings, violent confrontations, and struggles over control of lucrative sand quarries and river access points. The pattern of violence, residents say, has steadily intensified, forcing many fishermen and farmers to abandon their livelihoods.

The most recent incident occurred early Tuesday in the Writer Char area, where fishermen were targeted while fishing in the Padma River. Eyewitnesses reported that attackers arrived swiftly in high-speed boats and opened indiscriminate fire from the riverbank. Fisherman Sahabul Islam was killed on the spot, while others narrowly escaped as panic spread across the river route.

Earlier, on 9 June, the body of a young man bearing gunshot wounds was recovered floating in the Char Jajira area. Investigators later suggested that the killing was linked to a dispute over control of sand extraction sites and inter-group rivalry in the border char belt. Locals alleged that the body had been dumped in a different location to conceal the circumstances of the crime.

Sources indicate that several armed groups are active across the extensive char zones spanning Natore, Rajshahi, Pabna, and Kushtia districts. However, the Kakon Bahini is widely described as the most organised and heavily armed, allegedly maintaining a force of around a hundred members. Their alleged activities include extortion, illegal occupation of sand quarries and ghats, intimidation of fishermen, and open display of firearms to assert territorial dominance.

Residents claim that whenever control over a sand quarry or river ghat is contested, armed men frequently arrive by boat, brandishing weapons and firing shots to establish dominance. As a result, farmers, fishermen, and labourers have increasingly been forced to abandon agricultural and fishing activities due to fear for their safety.

Recent Incidents Overview

Meanwhile, during a recent parliamentary session, the local Member of Parliament called for urgent and coordinated action to restore order in the char region. He stressed the need for a joint operation to dismantle criminal networks involved in sand trading and river-based extortion.

A senior official of Natore district police stated that investigations into the incidents are ongoing, with multiple units including river police working in coordination. Authorities have also indicated plans to strengthen patrols and surveillance in the remote and difficult-to-access char areas.

However, local residents remain sceptical, arguing that short-term operations alone will not be enough to break what they describe as a deeply entrenched cycle of violence. They insist that only a sustained and long-term security strategy can restore stability to the volatile Padma char belt.