Brutal Attack Over Rice Harvest in Barguna Leaves Five Injured

In a shocking escalation of a local land dispute in southern Bangladesh, five people, including four women, were brutally hacked on Friday afternoon in the village of South Taktabunia, Amatoli Upazila, Barguna District. The attack reportedly took place during a confrontation over harvesting paddy from a disputed plot of land.

The injured were initially taken to Amatoli Upazila Health Complex for treatment. Doctors, recognising the severity of the injuries, referred them to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for specialised care. Two of the victims are reported to be in critical condition.

According to local residents, the attack was orchestrated by Arif Gazi, former General Secretary of the Youth League of Haldia Union, along with a group of 20–25 accomplices. Eyewitnesses claim that Arif’s group arrived at the disputed 15-acre plot armed with sharp weapons and a rice-harvesting machine. When women from the Mannaaf Hawladar household tried to prevent them from cutting the paddy, they were brutally assaulted. The victims include Kodbanu (45), Shefali (40), Nur Nahar (35), Momtaz (70) and Saddam Hossain (30).

The conflict stems from a longstanding dispute between Mannaaf Hawladar and Jamal Gazi over the same 15-acre land. Earlier this month, on 11 November, the two parties clashed over cutting grass on the plot, prompting both sides to file cases at the Senior Judicial Magistrate Court of Amatoli. Following a court ruling on 24 November, Mannaaf Hawladar and 11 of his relatives were imprisoned, providing an opportunity for the opposing faction to attempt the paddy harvest.

The local police responded quickly after the victims dialled the national emergency number 999. By the time authorities arrived, the attackers had fled. Police, with help from local residents, later transferred the injured to hospital.

Arif Gazi has denied involvement, claiming, “I was not present at the scene. False allegations are being made against me.”

Amatoli Upazila Health Complex’s resident doctor, Rashed Mahmud Roknuzzaman, confirmed that five seriously injured individuals were referred to Barishal for treatment and warned that two of them remain in a critical condition. Amatoli police officer-in-charge, Dewan Jaglul Hasan, added that three suspects — Zakaria, Sagir, and Lippi Begum — had been detained in connection with the attack.

The incident has left the community in shock, with many expressing concern over escalating violence linked to longstanding land disputes in rural Bangladesh.