From New Nation Online Edition

District News
Villagers clash in Habiganj : Two killed
By UNB, Habiganj
Wed, 15 Feb 2006, 10:30:00

Two people were killed and over 200 others injured when residents of two villages locked in a bloody clash over a trifling matter at Umednagar in Baniachang upazila Wednesday.

The deceased were identified as Lal Mia, 45, of Pataria village, and Abdus Shahid, 42, of Umednagar. Shahid died from bullet wounds.

Witnesses and hospital sources said that a number of policemen were also injured in the fighting that ensued following an altercation between a rickshaw-puller of Umednagar village and a passenger of Pataria village over rickshaw fare. Some villagers of Umednagar along with the rickshaw-puller beat up the passenger in the morning, causing strong resentment among the villagers of Pataria, they added.

Police said the angry villagers of Pataria came to Umednagar at about 10 am to take revenge and turned the area into a veritable "battlefield."

The rival villagers swooped on each other with lethal country-made weapons during the four-hour battle, killing two on the spot and injuring over 200 people.

The feuding groups also beat up and injured local union parishad (UP) chairman Sajib Ali.

On information, police rushed to the scene, fired 14 rounds from rifle and 83 rounds from shotgun, and also released 71 teargas shells to bring the situation under control.

The injured were rushed to hospitals and clinics.

As tension was prevailing in the two villages, riot police and paramilitary BDR have been deployed in the area to avert further violence.


© Copyright 2003 by ittefaq.com