Elderly man killed as villagers clash in Sunamganj

Derai (Sunamganj) Correspondent : An elderly man was killed and more than 12 others were injured in a clash between two groups of villagers at Derai upazila in Sunamganj on Thursday over establishing dominance in the area.

The deceased was identified as Shawquat Akbar, 65, of Dhalua village at Rajnagar union of the upazila, police said.

Local residents said that there was a longstanding enmity between two groups of residents of Dhalua village over establishing supremacy and following a murder incident taken place in 2022 in the area.

On January 8 this year, supporters of the both sides had clashed with each-other centring a quarrel among the children during a football match, they said.

As a sequel of that incident, supporters of the rival groups, armed with locally made weapons, including bamboo sticks and spears, locked in a clash at about 11:00am on Thursday, leaving thirteen people of the both sides injured, according to the locals.

Later, critically injured Shawquat was died on his way to the Derai upazila health complex at noon, the villagers said.

They said that Taju Miah, 50, one of the rest injured, also was sent to Sylhet Osmani medical college hospital after rescuing him in a dangerous condition from the scene.

Derai police station officer-in-charge Ikhtiar Uddin Chowdhury said confirmed that the body was sent to Sunamganj Sadar hospital for post-mortem examination.

‘A team of the police was deployed in the village to avert further clash,’ he said, adding, ‘a murder case will also be filed in this connection.’