Three people, including a union parishad (UP) member, were killed and ten others injured in a series of clashes on Friday between two local groups over establishing supremacy in Kalkini upazila of Madaripur, said police.
The deceased have been identified as Aktar Shikdar, 40, member of the Ward No-8 of Banshgari union, his son Maruf Shikdar, 18, and a local Sirajul Chowkidar, 35.
Locals and police said there had long been a dispute between Fakir and Shikdar races over establishing dominance in the area.
Aktar Shikdar held the post of senior vice president of the Ward No-8 unit of Awami League (AL) and fled the area after the fall of Sheikh Hasina government on August 5.
The UP member along with his fellows was trying to enter the area from Natun Bazar area of nearby Shariatpur district early Friday. Hearing this, his opponent Jalil Shikdar gathered people by miking to resist Aktar.
At one stage, both groups locked into clashes with lethal weapons and hurled hand-grenades targeting each, leaving the UP member dead on the spot and 12 others injured.
Maruf Shikdar was rushed to nearby Shariatpur Sadar Hospital where physicians declared him dead upon arrival.
Besides, Sirajul Chowkidar, a day labour by profession and a fellow of the Shikdar group, succumbed to his injuries on way to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The injured had been admitted to Barishal’s Muladi and Shariatpur’s Damudya Upazila Health Complexes respectively.
Banshgari UP Chairman Mostafizur Rahman said Aktar was accused of 35 cases, including five murders .
The clash erupted when the Fakir group tried to resist the entry of the Shikdar group, he said, adding that both groups exploded hand-grenades during the clashes, creating panic in the area.
Kalkini police station’s Officer-in-Charge Md Humayun Kabir confirmed the deaths of the three in the fierce clashes while processes were underway to send the bodies to Sadar hospital morgue for autopsy.
He said joint drives were underway to arrest the accused.
Bhaskar Saha, additional superintendent of police (admin and finance) of the district, said an additional number of police, Rapid Action Battalion and Army has been deployed to ward off any unwanted incident further and the situation was now under their control.
