Land dispute-related negotiations in Cumilla turned fatal on Friday morning (October 16) when a 43-year-old Jubo Dal activist, Abu Kawchar, was brutally hacked to death near the Chhatrakhil Police Outpost in Cumilla Sadar Upazila. Kawchar, a resident of Ward 4 in Cumilla city, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital later that afternoon following the targeted assault.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station on Sunday afternoon (October 18) by the victim's elder brother, Kabir Hossain, the tragedy unfolded after Kawchar and his associates were lured to the location under the guise of an amicable settlement regarding a disputed plot. The victim's business associate, Shamim Hossain, had previously leased 8 to 10 kani of land on the northern char of the Gumti River to cultivate Napier grass. Tensions escalated after the accused group attempted to forcibly construct a coffee house in front of the leased land, prompting objections from Kawchar and his partners.
The formal complaint names five individuals: Touhidul Islam, his elder brother Tanzir Alam, their father Khorshed Alam, Saiful Islam, and Farhad Hossain, alongside three to four unidentified suspects. The case details recount that Kawchar and several companions arrived at the designated meeting spot near the Chhatrakhil police outpost in two auto-rickshaws at approximately 10:30 AM on Friday (October 16). The suspects immediately intercepted their vehicle, whereupon Saiful Islam struck Kawchar on the right side of his back with a machete, while Farhad Hossain attempted to stab his chest with a switch-blade knife, an attack Kawchar attempted to block with his right hand.
When auto-rickshaw driver Masum rushed forward to intervene, Tanzir targeted him with a ramda (heavy cleaver), inflicting severe injuries to his back. As witnesses and local residents began to converge on the scene amidst mounting cries for help, the assailants fled on two pre-positioned motorcycles. Law enforcement authorities, including Cumilla District Superintendent of Police Anisuzzaman, addressed a press briefing on Saturday evening (October 17) alongside Special Response Battalion-11, confirming that preliminary investigations point to a premeditated murder. Police have successfully arrested the primary suspects, Touhidul Islam and his brother Tanzir Alam, and are continuing operations to identify and apprehend any remaining accomplices.
