Man killed, 70 hurt in Dirai haor clashes

Sr. Staff Reporter, Kishoreganj :

A man was killed and seventy people were injured in a clashes two rival groups over the supremacy and occupation of the canal in Sunamganj’s Dirai haor on Thursday. In this incident, the army and police have been deployed in the area as tension has spread in several villages.
The victim has been identified as Parul Mia (58), a residence at Rafinagar village in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj.
One party claimed that at least 30 shops were looted in Banglabazar market during the incident.
Eyewitnesses said that, the conflict between the villagers of Rafinagar and Mirzapur has been going on for a long time over the government canal going to Machimpur via Banglabazar-Mirzapur in Rafinagar union of Dirai upazila. Two former Union Parishad chairmen, Jahangir Chowdhury of Mirzapur and Rezwan Khan of Rafinagar are leading the two sides in this conflict.
Both parties want to take possession of this canal. Among the injured, 10 people from both sides have been sent to Sylhet’s Osmani Medical College Hospital in critical condition. Others were admitted to Dirai government hospital.