A Correspondent:
Kurigram: A 30-year-old man was killed and two others were seriously injured during a violent clash over a long-standing land dispute in Kurigram’s Bhurungamari upazila on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Shahidul Islam, son of Abdul Sheikh of Kanipara village in Khamar Andharijhar. Following the incident, police launched a massive drive and arrested 17 individuals while seizing a large quantity of local weapons.
According to police and locals, a conflict had been simmering between Abdul Sheikh and Shukur Ali over approximately 8 decimals of land. Despite multiple attempts at resolution through local arbitration and the union parishad village court, the dispute remained unsettled.
Eyewitnesses said the clash broke out on Monday noon when Shukur Ali and his associates attempted to cultivate the disputed land with a tractor for Aman paddy cultivation. When Shahidul and his relatives arrived to block the attempt, a heated argument escalated into a bloody confrontation. During the fight, Shahidul was struck with a ‘Koch’- a traditional sharp-pronged fishing spear-and collapsed on the spot.
He was rushed to the Bhurungamari Upazila Health Complex, where the attending physician pronounced him dead. Two others, identified as Mobdul and Sabina, are currently undergoing treatment for serious injuries.
Muntasir Mamun Mun, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said that the murder was a direct re-sult of the long-standing land dispute. He stated that police have regained control of the area and addi-tional forces have been deployed to maintain order.
“We have already arrested 17 suspects and seized a significant cache of local weapons,” he added.
A murder case is currently being filed at the Bhurungamari Police Station, and the arrested suspects are being processed for court appearance.
