Regional Correspondent
Two persons were killed and 15 others were injured in a clash between rival groups over a piece of disputed land at Daspukur area under Rajpara police station of the city around 1pm on Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Shafiqul Islam (50), former Organising Secretary of Rajshahi city unit of BNP and son of Gias Uddin of the same area and Joynal Abedin(40) nephew of Kamal Hossain, Councillor of ward-3 of RCC.
According to sources deceased former BNP leader Shafiqul also known as 'Kana Shafique' and his elder brother Abdus Salam are infamous as 'land grabbers' in the area while ward councilor Kamal Hossain and his brother, President of Ward AL Mahtab Hossain are also alleged 'land pirates' of the same area.
There has been a long rivalry over the possession of a piece of land between Shafiqul’s group and Kamal’s group. As a sequel of rivalry, gangs from both groups armed with batons, rods and sharp weapons locked into an internecine clash over the possession of the land on Wednesday noon. At least 15 people from the both groups were injured in the clash. However, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Mazharul Islam, Officer-in-charge of Rajpara police station informed, the clash between the two groups erupted following a land dispute and the rivalry of both groups in establishing supremacy in the area.
The dead bodies have been sent to the morgue for autopsy. Police also started a crackdown to arrest the trouble makers, he added.
According to local sources, local influential land grabber Abdus Salam proposed to purchase a disputed land belonged to Selim Hossain son of AL leader Torab Ali but Selim refused to sell the land. As a result, people belonged to Salam group went on the land this morning and started to take possession of the land by erecting fence with bamboo when Selim Hossain and his father Mahtab alongwith gangs resisted the move and both groups locked into a clash with iron rods, batons and sharp weapons.
