3 including a woman killed in clash over land dispute in Kurigram

Three people, including a woman, were killed in a clash over a land dispute in Hailatari village of Santoshpur union in Nageshwari upazila of Kurigram today, Sunday.

Confirming the matter, Rezaul Karim, officer-in-charge (OC) of Nageshwari police station, told Prothom Alo that the clash broke out this afternoon over a land dispute. Two people were killed on the spot, bringing the casualties from the incident to three.

Police rushed to the scene upon receiving the information and brought the situation under control, the OC said adding, “Efforts are underway to identify and bring those people involved to book."

The deceased are identified as Ershad Ali, 35, Kulsum Begum, 50, and Altaf Hossain, 50, of Hailatari village in Nageshwari upazila.

Police and local residents said that there has been a long-standing dispute over a 16-desimal-land in Chilakhana village of the upazila between Nur Mohammad Manik Ullah of Hailatari village and his cousin Altaf Hossain, 50.

This morning a verbal altercation first broke out between the two sides centering crop harvesting on the disputed land. The dispute escalated into a clash with crude weapons.

Ershad Ali and Kulsum Begum, on Nur Mohammad’s side, were killed on the spot, while Altaf Hossain was taken to Nageshwari upazila health complex in a critical condition and was declared dead by physicians. Police rushed to the scene upon receiving the news and brought the situation under control. Later, the superintendent of police of Kurigram visited the site.

Sujan Saha, health and family planning officer of Nageshwari upazila, told Prothom Alo that two people were killed on the spot. Local residents took two others to the hospital in a critical condition, one of whom died on the way. The other was given preliminary treatment and then referred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.