A long-standing dispute over local dominance erupted into bloody violence early on Monday morning in Brahmanbaria’s Bancharampur upazila, leaving one man dead from gunshot wounds and at least ten others seriously injured.

The clashes broke out at around dawn in Shantipur village, situated within Bancharampur upazila. The deceased has been identified as 35-year-old Jewel Mia, son of Sentu Mia, hailing from Gopinathpur village in the Nilokhya Union of neighbouring Narsingdi district’s Raipura upazila.

Tensions between two rival local factions—one led by the Azgar Ali Sarkar household and the other by the Safu Sarkar family—have simmered for months as both groups sought control over the area. Previous hostilities between the factions boiled over on 30 June, leading to a major confrontation that forced supporters of the Safu Sarkar family to flee the village.

Matters escalated dramatically on Monday morning when Moktar Hossain, a grandson of Safu Sarkar, reportedly arrived in Shantipur accompanied by a group of supporters recruited from nearby Narsingdi. Eyewitnesses and local sources stated that Moktar’s group launched a sudden assault on their rivals, provoking a fierce counter-attack that quickly turned into an all-out battle involving firearms and improvised explosives.

As gunshots echoed through the village, five to six individuals sustained direct bullet wounds, while several others suffered severe injuries from sharp weapons and physical assaults. Local residents rushed the casualties to Bancharampur Upazila Health Complex, where attending doctors pronounced Jewel Mia dead on arrival. Several of the critically wounded were subsequently transferred to advanced medical centres and district facilities for emergency treatment.

Law enforcement personnel promptly arrived at the scene to restore order as panic spread through the community. During a tactical sweep of the area, officers recovered a pipe gun, five live rounds of ammunition, and five unexploded crude bombs (cocktails).

Officer-in-Charge of Bancharampur Police Station, Md Yasin, confirmed that police have secured the village and reinstated calm. He stated that the body of the deceased is being prepared for a post-mortem examination at Brahmanbaria General Hospital. Authorities have initiated a thorough investigation into the incident, and legal proceedings against those responsible are underway.