The Asiapost News

Dhaka, Bangladesh – A violent clash over a fish farm lease in Abhaynagar Upazila, Jashore, has left a local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) Krishak Dal wing dead and sparked a wave of communal attacks on Hindu families, police and local sources reported.

Tarikul Islam, 50, president of the Nawapara municipal unit of Krishak Dal, the farmers’ wing of the BNP, was brutally killed on Thursday evening in Dohar Mashiahati village. According to his family, Islam was lured to a residence under the pretext of resolving a dispute over a fish farm lease, where he was hacked with sharp weapons and shot multiple times. Police recovered his body around 6:45 PM, noting three gunshot wounds and severe injuries from sharp weapons. Dr. Md. Mahiuddin of the Abhaynagar Upazila Health Complex confirmed Islam’s death, stating that his body bore multiple wounds, with his wrists nearly severed.

The killing triggered a wave of retaliatory violence later that night, with local BNP activists allegedly attacking at least 20 Hindu households in Dohar Mashiahati village. The assailants set fire to homes, looted valuables, and vandalized property, leaving families devastated. Furniture, electronics, and personal belongings were reduced to ashes, and five motorcycles and an engine-driven van were also burned. In the nearby Sundali Bazar, two shops were torched, and four others were vandalized, with at least 10 people injured in the attacks.

A Hindu youth, Sagar Biswas, 25, was reportedly abducted during the violence but was later rescued by police on Friday afternoon and is currently in custody for his safety. Residents described a scene of terror, with one housewife, Panna Biswas, recounting the loss of her television, refrigerator, gold, cash, and personal documents. “Only the six of us are left,” she said. Another woman, Smriti Biswas, reported being beaten and thrown to the ground during the looting of her home.

The violence stemmed from a dispute over a fish farm in the Bil Kachurabad area, where most of the land is owned by Dohar Mashiahati villagers. After the lease expired, Tarikul Islam sought to take over the farm, leading to tensions with another party. Local sources claim the rival group orchestrated Islam’s killing, which fueled the subsequent attacks on Hindu families, perceived as supporters of the opposing faction.

Iqbal Kabir Zahid, general secretary of the Revolutionary Communist League of Bangladesh, visited the affected village and condemned the attacks, demanding justice for Islam’s murder and compensation for the victims. “A certain group exploited this tragedy for looting and destruction,” he said, calling for the arrest and trial of those responsible.

Abdul Alim, officer-in-charge of Abhaynagar Police Station, confirmed that the situation is now under control, with police deployed to the area. No case has been filed regarding Islam’s killing as of yet, but investigations are ongoing.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions over land and resources in rural Bangladesh, often exacerbated by political affiliations. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have previously reported similar communal attacks on minority Hindu communities, raising concerns about the protection of vulnerable groups amid local power struggles.

Authorities have urged calm as they work to restore order and address the grievances of the affected families. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, with calls for swift justice and support for the victims.