Section 144 imposedOne killed, 15 injured in a violent clash between rival villagers in Tangail

A 65-year-old man was killed and at least 15 others were injured in a violent clash between residents of two villages over local dominance in Gopalpur Upazila of Tangail over a previous dispute on Thursday (4 June).

Several houses were vandalised and set on fire during the clash in Golpencha village.

The deceased was identified as Kalam Talukder, a resident of Jagatkura village. The other injured were sent to Tangail General Hospital for treatment.

Kazi Shahnewaz, additional superintendent of police in Tangail said, Kalam and several others were injured in the clash. They were taken to Bhuiyanpur Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Kalam dead.

The incident also involved vandalism and arson, prompting the administration to impose Section 144 to maintain law and order, he added.

The restriction came into effect from 6:00am on Friday (5 June) in the Nalin and Jagatpura areas and will remain in force until further notice, according to local authorities.

Police and local sources said that tensions had been simmering for a long time between residents of the two villages over influence and control in the area. Vandalism had earlier taken place in Golpencha village of Gopalpur upazila and Jagatkura village of Bhuiyanpur upazila on April 22 over a dispute linked to leftover food from a shop.

The dispute escalated again into a deadly confrontation on Thursday (4 June), during which several houses were vandalized and set on fire. The area has remained highly tense since the incident.

Anwar Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Gopalpur Police Station, said Section 144 had been imposed to prevent further unrest and that additional 500 police personnel had been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incidents.