A bitter family dispute over ancestral property ended in violence in the early hours of Sunday, 13 September, after a young man allegedly set fire to his elderly grandparents’ residence in Tangail’s Madhupur upazila. The incident occurred in Dharati Paschimpara, a village nestled within the hilly terrain of Kuragacha Union.

The accused, identified as Gitis Nokrek, belongs to the indigenous Garo community. According to family members and police, Gitis had been relentlessly pressuring his maternal grandparents, Sonendra Chiran and Sita Nokrek, to transfer ownership of his late mother’s share of the family land to his name. Matters escalated sharply around dawn when, following a heated altercation, Gitis physically assaulted the elderly couple, forced them out of their home, and set the structure ablaze.

The fire rapidly consumed the dwelling, destroying stored paddy, rice, clothing, cooking utensils, and household furniture. Relatives confirmed that the elderly couple lost virtually all their earthly belongings in the blaze.

Local dynamics and traditional Garo customs played a central role in driving the conflict. Abinash Nokrek, a relative and resident of Dharati village, explained that the Garo community adheres to a matrilineal inheritance system, wherein family property passes through the female line rather than the male line.

Gitis’s mother, Shapli Nokrek, died of cancer approximately twelve years ago, leaving behind one son and three daughters. While her daughters subsequently relocated to Dhaka for work and living arrangements, Gitis remained in the village with his grandparents. Recently, Gitis had demanded a formal transfer of his mother’s portion of the land. However, elders informed him that under traditional Garo customary land laws, he held no legal right to inherit the property directly through his mother.

Gitis, who had filled out forms to sit his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations from a local high school, failed to take the exams after becoming entangled in substance abuse. His frustration over the inheritance rejection, compounded by addiction issues, culminated in the arson attack.

The Officer-in-Charge of Madhupur Police Station, Md. Ruhul Amin, stated that law enforcement had been informed of the incident. He assured that formal police action and legal proceedings would commence immediately upon receiving a written complaint from the victimized family. Local community leaders and relatives are currently assisting the distressed couple with legal steps.