The riverine char region of Munshiganj has once again descended into violence ahead of upcoming local government elections. Intermittent clashes erupted between two rival factions of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Mollakandi union under Sadar upazila, leaving at least ten people injured, including five with gunshot wounds. The fighting, marked by heavy gunfire and repeated crude bomb explosions, stretched from late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
According to police and eyewitness accounts, the violence began around 11:30 pm on Wednesday (11 November) in Noadda village. Several youths were standing and conversing beside a local dredger when followers of Aolad Mollah, Joint Secretary of Munshiganj Sadar Upazila BNP and former Vice-President of the union unit, allegedly launched a sudden armed attack. Assailants opened fire on the group, leaving five men wounded at the scene.
That initial shooting sparked retaliatory assaults that raged until 9:00 am on Thursday across neighbouring villages, including Rajarchar, Kangspura, and Natun Amghata. Residents across Mollakandi woke to the deafening blasts of crude bombs, locally known as cocktails, shaking their neighbourhoods. As morning progressed, spent bullet casings and scorch marks from exploded devices littered residential courtyards and open fields.
Local sources indicate that the bloodshed stems from a protracted turf war over regional dominance and competing ambitions for the chairman post in the impending Union Parishad polls. Tensions have been simmering between Aolad Mollah and Rahim Mollah, a Mollakandi union BNP leader and France-based party activist, ever since both sides signalled intentions to contest the election. Followers from both camps mobilised with local and foreign firearms alongside stockpiles of crude bombs to assert control.
Those who sustained gunshot injuries were identified as Didar Dhali (47), Borhan Sikder (49), Didar Sarder (45), Rakib Sarder (25), and Imran Hossain (48). Locals rescued the wounded men and rushed them to Munshiganj General Hospital for emergency care. Following initial treatment, physicians transferred all five to Dhaka for advanced medical intervention due to the severity of their injuries. At least five others injured in the clashes received treatment at local healthcare facilities.
Law enforcement officers rushed to the flashpoint to restore order, only to come under attack themselves as miscreants allegedly hurled crude bombs at police personnel. Confirming the details on Thursday afternoon, Taslim Uddin, Officer-in-Charge of Munshiganj Sadar Police Station, attributed the clashes to the long-standing factional rivalry over the local council polls. Police are conducting ongoing raids across the char area to recover illegal firearms, though no arrests have yet been made in connection with the attacks on officers. A heavy sense of apprehension continues to grip the union.
