A long-running village feud over local dominance has claimed another life in Alfadanga, Faridpur, where a tea vendor was ambushed and fatally hacked to death by armed rivals. The incident occurred around 9:00 pm on Saturday, 12 September, near Mala Government Primary School along the Kashiani-Alfadanga Road. The victim, 55-year-old Rabiul Islam Sheikh, also known as Rabi, died on the spot, whilst three of his companions sustained severe injuries during the attack.
Rabiul Islam Sheikh, a resident of Borobhag village under Tagarband Union and son of Sattar Sheikh, was the uncle of Suman Sheikh—a 24-year-old college student murdered in the same village just two and a half months earlier.
The three injured men have been identified as Moktar Biswas, 55, Hridoy Sheikh, 21, and Liton Khan, 40. Rescuers transported them to the neighbouring Kashiani Upazila Health Complex for emergency medical treatment. Attending doctors reported that the condition of Moktar Biswas remains critical.
According to local authorities and statements from the injured, Rabiul operated a tea stall at Kashiani Sadar Market. On Saturday night, after closing his shop, he began walking home alongside three acquaintances from his village. As the group approached the Mala Government Primary School area, a gang of armed assailants lying in wait launched a sudden assault, wielding sharp weapons. The attackers repeatedly struck Rabiul, killing him instantly, before turning on his companions when they attempted to intervene.
The brutal killing is the latest escalation in a bitter four-year dispute between two rival factions vying for supremacy in Borobhag village. The ongoing conflict has triggered multiple violent clashes, retaliatory attacks, and cross-filings of criminal cases.
On 26 June, the feud claimed its first victim when Suman Sheikh, a first-year student at Kashiani M.A. Khaleq Degree College and son of Rabiul’s brother Alauddin Sheikh, was ambushed and hacked to death while riding a motorcycle near Ukil Sheikh’s house in Borobhag East Village. Suman’s murder ignited widespread violence, leading to vandalism and looting of properties belonging to the opposing faction.
Tensions flared again recently after several suspects arrested in connection with Suman’s murder secured bail and returned to the village. Relatives of the deceased stated that they had been living under constant fear of retaliation since the suspects were released on bail. They alleged that the same perpetrators carried out Saturday’s fatal ambush to eliminate another family member.
Faridpur Assistant Superintendent of Police (Madhukhali, Boalmari, and Alfadanga Circle) Masuduzzaman confirmed the incident, stating that police officers were immediately deployed to secure the crime scene and recover the body for post-mortem analysis. Law enforcement authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation to identify and apprehend all individuals involved in the attack, assuring that strict legal proceedings will follow.
