A long-standing dispute over a small parcel of land spiralled into deadly violence in Kurigram’s Bhurungamari upazila, leaving a 30-year-old man dead and seventeen people in police custody. The violent clash broke out on Monday afternoon, 10 August, near the Raiganj Bridge in the Khamar Andharijhar Kanipara area under Andharijhar Union.
The deceased has been identified as Shahidul Islam, son of Abdul Sheikh, a resident of the local community.
According to police reports and local residents, Abdul Sheikh’s family and a neighbouring family led by Shukur Ali had been locked in a bitter feud over approximately eight decimals of land. Previous attempts to resolve the dispute through informal village arbitration sessions and formal hearings at the local Union Parishad village court had failed to yield a settlement, leaving tensions simmering between the two households.
The situation turned fatal at around 2:30 pm on Monday when Shukur Ali and several associates arrived at the disputed plot with farming equipment, preparing to plough the land and plant Aman paddy seedlings. Upon learning of the activity, Shahidul Islam and his relatives rushed to the spot to halt the planting, asserting their claim over the property.
A heated argument quickly erupted into a violent brawl as both factions attacked each other with sticks and improvised weapons. Shahidul sustained severe direct injuries during the altercation and collapsed to the ground. Relatives managed to rescue him from the melee and hurried him to Bhurungamari Upazila Health Complex, where attending medical officers pronounced him dead upon arrival.
Alerted to the violence, law enforcement teams led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (Bhurungamari Circle) Muntasir Mamun Moon swiftly deployed to the scene to restore order. Police conducted immediate raids across the village, apprehending seventeen individuals suspected of direct involvement in the riot and fatal assault. Officers also recovered a substantial quantity of crude weapons from the location.
ASP Muntasir Mamun Moon confirmed that police have brought the area under full control. He stated that the seventeen suspects were detained alongside confiscated weapons to prevent further retaliation, adding that operations remain ongoing to track down and arrest remaining individuals involved in the killing as legal proceedings move forward.
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