Over 30 injured, houses vandalised as people from 5 Sunamganj villages clash over cricket ball hitting three-wheeler

At least 30 people were injured when a dispute over a cricket ball hitting a battery-run three-wheeler escalated into a clash involving residents of five villages in Sunamganj's Tahirpur upazila today (7 October).

The clash broke out around noon in Madhya Tahirpur village area and continued for about an hour. During the clash, 20-30 houses and four shops were vandalised, while a house belonging to Alkas Mia was set on fire. Fire Service personnel later brought the blaze under control, police said.

Police and residents of nearby villages intervened to bring the situation under control. Additional police have been deployed in the area amid fears of renewed clashes.

According to local and police sources, the dispute began on 29 September when several village youths were playing cricket in front of Birjoy Lakshmi Dhutma Government Primary School. A cricket ball hit the battery-run three-wheeler of Jalal Mia, a resident of Madhya Tahirpur, as he passed along a nearby road.

This led to an argument and physical altercation between Hafiz Mia and those who were playing. Later in the day, several people from Madhya Tahirpur beat Jasim Uddin, a resident of Dhutma village, at Tahirpur Bazar.

Yesterday, several people from Birnagar village beat Hafiz Mia at the upazila health complex, further escalating tensions between the two groups, according to locals.

Last night, an announcement was reportedly made over a mosque loudspeaker in Birnagar village, calling on residents of Birnagar, Joynagar, Lakshmipur and Dhutma villages to gather the following morning with whatever weapons they had.

A video of the announcement later surfaced on social media, after which police and local community leaders spoke to both groups to try to resolve the dispute. However, The Business Standard could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Around noon today, residents of the four villages arrived in Madhya Tahirpur with locally made weapons and attacked the village, vandalising houses and shops.

At one point, a house belonging to Alkas Mia was set on fire. Fire Service personnel later extinguished the blaze, locals said.

Residents of Madhya Tahirpur then mounted a counterattack, leading to a clash between the two groups.

Tanim Ahmed Lincoln and Rahima Begum, residents of Madhya Tahirpur, alleged that thousands of people from the four villages arrived by boat and attacked their village, vandalising and looting homes and shops, assaulting women and setting a house on fire.

Babul Mia, a former union parishad member and resident of Birnagar, said the dispute began when a cricket ball hit a battery-run three-wheeler during a game involving children.

The incident was followed by attacks and counterattacks between the two groups, he said.

"There was tension between the two groups today. Locals and the administration managed to bring the situation under control," he added.

Junab Ali, a resident of Joynagar, joint convener of the upazila BNP and chairman of Tahirpur Sadar Union Parishad, said the clash stemmed from a minor incident.

"I am currently in Dhaka, and we are ashamed of what happened today," he said.

He also said that although a lawmaker and a former upazila chairman have homes in the area, they could not bring the situation under control.

The incident occurred because of the actions of some overenthusiastic people from both groups, Junab said, adding that locals, the upazila administration and police had tried their best to prevent the violence.

Tahirpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Faruk Ahmed said the dispute originated from a minor incident several days ago that led to arguments and physical altercations between the two groups.

After receiving information about the loudspeaker announcement, police went to the area that night and tried to persuade both groups not to engage in violence, he said.

However, when people from both groups gathered at the site today, they eventually became involved in a clash, the OC said.

He also said at least 30 people were injured by brickbats during the clash.