100 houses vandalised over killing in Bhairab

At least 100 houses were attacked and vandalised in Bhairab upazila of Kishoreganj on Tuesday afternoon following the hacking to death of a teenager over past enmity. The incident also led to allegations of looting by opponents.

The incident took place in Lundia village of Bhairab upazila.

Locals and the administration said that for several years, there has been a dispute between the Pagla Bari and Sheikh Bari families of the village over dominance in the area.

As a continuation of this conflict, on March 23, a teenager named Iman Hossain from Pagla Bari went to a shop at night to buy a minute card for his father’s mobile phone. At that time, people from Sheikh Bari allegedly attacked him with locally made weapons, leaving him seriously injured.

Locals rescued him and took him to Bhairab 100-bed Hospital, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead.

The victim’s father filed a murder case with Bhairab Model Police Station, accusing 79 people in connection with the incident.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bhairab Model Police Station, Ataur Rahman Akand, said, “The accused fled immediately after the murder. We are trying to arrest them using various technologies. The operation is ongoing. If we receive any complaints about vandalism and looting, we will also take action.”

Bhairab Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mamunur Rashid said, “The conflict between the two parties is long-standing. It remains dormant for some time and then resurfaces for various reasons.

The vandalism that occurred following the murder is unacceptable. The law must be allowed to take its own course,” he added.