Second body recovered after deadly factional clashes in Narsingdi
Photo Collected
A fresh wave of lethal violence in Narsingdi’s Raipura upazila has left at least two people dead and several others missing, as local authorities continue to search for victims following a series of brutal clashes between rival factions. The discovery of 37-year-old Kawsar Ahmed’s body, which surfaced in the Meghna River on Wednesday afternoon near Jitrampur in Madhabdi, has heightened fears that the death toll from Tuesday’s unrest may climb significantly.
Kawsar, a resident of Birgaon village who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia, was identified by his family after his body washed ashore in the Char Dighaldi union. According to his wife, Suravi Akter, Kawsar was targeted during the initial surge of violence on Tuesday morning. She alleged that her husband was shot in the legs and stabbed with sharp weapons before fleeing into the river, where he was hunted down by armed men in a boat, shot again, and subsequently discarded in the water.
The violence erupted in the early hours of Tuesday in the Haripur and Darigaon areas of Nilakkha union, pitting the followers of local figures Nazim Uddin and Alal Munshi against one another. Armed with both indigenous weaponry and firearms, the factions engaged in hours of chaos that included the burning and vandalism of multiple homes. One individual, 22-year-old Anik, was killed after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head during the clashes, which persisted from dawn until mid-morning.
Raipura police inspector (investigation) Probir Kumar Ghosh confirmed the recovery of Kawsar’s body, noting that while reports of additional casualties have circulated, the police cannot confirm further deaths until more bodies are recovered. Local officials and family members estimate that between eight and ten people, including individuals identified as Bulbul and Latif, remain missing, fueling fears that they may have been killed during the fighting.
The escalation comes despite recent attempts by the local administration to broker a peace agreement. Raipura Upazila Executive Officer Md. Masud Rana stated that negotiations had been underway for a week, with a formal resolution meeting scheduled for the coming Friday. Those efforts were rendered moot when the factions clashed, purportedly after supporters of Alal Munshi returned to the area in speedboats accompanied by hired gunmen to ambush the opposing camp.
As local authorities intensify their efforts to restore order and locate the remaining missing persons, the community remains in a state of alarm. The failure of the recent peace talks has left the region on edge as families continue to search the riverbanks for their loved ones.
0%
0%
0%
0%
