A fierce territorial dispute over the lucrative control of local brick kilns degenerated into widespread violence on Friday afternoon in Narayanganj’s Fatullah, leaving at least ten people injured by gunfire and barbed spears (teta).
The clashes unfolded in the Akbar Nagar Sepahibari area under the Baktabali Union, where two rival factions affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) engaged in repeated skirmishes from 3:30 pm until dusk. The conflict escalated dramatically into targeted home raids, vandalism, and open gunfire across the neighbourhood.
Law enforcement personnel subsequently restored order and seized 40 barbed spears from the scene. Two individuals have been detained for questioning regarding their involvement in the riot.
Root Causes and Escalation
The unrest stems from a long-standing rivalry between a faction led by Halim Azad, the Organisational Secretary of the Baktabali Union BNP, and an opposing group headed by Abdul Kadir Sepai—the Office Secretary of the Narayanganj District Auto-Rickshaw and Auto-Tempu Labour Union—alongside local figure Haji Samed Ali.
Local residents and police sources revealed that the core of the conflict revolves around territorial dominance, specifically the control of local brick kilns, topsoil extraction, labour supply contracts, and lucrative commission trade in the riverine belt of Baktabali. Tensions reached boiling point over a political invitation: the selection of Moktar Hossain, Joint Convenor of the Sirajdikhan Upazila BNP in neighbouring Munshiganj, as chief guest at a local Krishak Dal discussion meeting angered rival political operators.
Matters came to a head on Friday when Halim Azad’s supporters allegedly launched a targeted raid on several residences in the Sepahibari quarter. The initial assault provoked a swift counter-offensive from Kadir Sepai and Samed Ali’s followers, plunging the locality into hours of violent chaos.
Casualties and Conflicting Claims
Among those severely injured is Hridoy, the youngest son of Haji Samed Ali, who sustained a gunshot wound. Another victim, Raju Sheikh, son of Alauddin Sheikh, was struck by a spear. Both were rushed alongside other casualties—including Siam, Oli, and Mujabbir—to Narayanganj General Hospital. Several victims were later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as their conditions deteriorated.
Speaking to the media, Abdul Kadir Sepai alleged that Halim Azad had been demanding extortion payments from him for months. Kadir claimed that after he refused to comply, Azad brought armed henchmen from neighbouring Keraniganj to ransack his house. According to Kadir, the attackers looted gold jewellery, air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines while firing live rounds into the property.
Halim Azad vehemently denied the accusations, countering that his men were ambushed while returning peacefully from the Krishak Dal programme. He insisted he had attempted to defuse the situation and rejected all allegations of extortion, armed assault, or personal enmity with Kadir Sepai.
Narayanganj’s brick kiln sector, situated along the Dhaleshwari and Buriganga riverbeds, has historically seen intense rivalry over raw material extraction and transport logistics. Police patrols have been reinforced throughout Baktabali Union to prevent further reprisal attacks.
