At least 35 people, including women, were injured in violent clashes between two rival groups in Kendua upazila, Netrokona, following a dispute over local political factionalism and commercial fish transportation.
The confrontation took place on Wednesday morning, 7 October 2026, in Naopara village under Paikura Union.
Ten of the injured, currently in critical condition, were transferred to Netrokona District Sadar Hospital and Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment following preliminary medical evaluations at the local upazila health complex.
Local sources revealed that tensions stemmed from internal political friction during a recent ward-level Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) conference. Disagreements arose between the local Ward BNP President, Ifran Miah, and a rival faction led by Sunu Miah and Shakil after the latter refused to support Ifran during the conference.
This political rift deepened when a fresh dispute emerged over fish transportation involving local fish farmer Abdur Rahman, also known as Year Khan. When Sunu Miah’s group attempted to restrict commercial vehicles carrying Mr Rahman’s harvest, Mr Ifran allied himself with the fish farmer, escalating community tensions.
Supporters of Sunu Miah alleged that Mr Ifran’s associates launched a surprise ambush on Sunu Miah as he was returning home from a local market on Wednesday morning. As news of the assault spread through Naopara village, rival supporters armed with makeshift weapons clashed openly for nearly an hour.
Among those severely injured from Sunu Miah’s faction are Babul Miah, Kanchan Miah, Sohel Miah, Srijal Haq, Bokula Akhtar, and Bacchu Miah. The opposing side saw severe injuries sustained by Nazrul Islam, Saikul Islam, and Delowar Miah.
Defending his group’s stance, Sunu Miah stated that the initial grievance began over political non-cooperation at the ward conference. He claimed that Mr Rahman was damaging rural unpaved roads by using heavy lorries to transport fish. When villagers objected, Mr Ifran’s men teamed up with the fish farmer to orchestrate a pre-planned attack.
Refuting these allegations, Al Mamun, son of fish farmer Abdur Rahman, stated that their commercial fisheries faced unfair blockades from Sunu and Shakil’s supporters. He maintained that after large vehicles were barred from entering, the group even blocked smaller transport, inflicting substantial financial losses on their business.
When contacted via telephone regarding the violence, Ward BNP President Ifran Miah claimed he had no knowledge of the clashes or the events surrounding the outbreak.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kendua Police Station, Md Tarikul Islam, confirmed that neither group has lodged a formal written complaint yet. Officers attached to the local Pemoi Police Outpost are monitoring the situation in the village, and formal legal action will commence once written complaints are received.
