At least 10 people, including a union parishad (UP) member, were injured in a clash between two sides over harvesting paddy in Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat. They have been admitted to Hatibandha Upazila Health Complex.

The incident happened at midday on Friday, 22 November, at the Gendukuri border area of Tongbhanga union in the upazila.

The injured are Tongbhanga UP member Abdul Hamid (40), a resident of Gendukuri, and Sakib (17), Sourav (18), Minarul (38), Sirajul (38), Abdar Rahman (50), Jewel (36), Sumon (29), Monir (20), Kajol (24) and Jibon (19).

UP member Abdul Hamid had been in a long-running dispute with Atikul and Nurul over farmland in the North Gendukuri border area. On Friday morning people from both sides began gathering in the field over harvesting the paddy on that land, and tension ran high. At one point people from the Atikul and Nurul side attacked UP member Hamid and his people, and the two sides clashed. Locals took the injured to the upazila health complex. Police and BGB members later brought the situation under control.

The injured UP member Abdul Hamid said: "The land is mine. I farmed it and cut the paddy. Before I could bring the paddy home, they came and took it. When we resisted, they attacked. My son and three others were injured along with me."

Hafikul Islam, brother-in-law of the accused Nurul, said: "My sister's husband has been in possession of the land from before. They are claiming the land as theirs by force. Today when we went to collect the paddy, they stopped us. If they have papers for the land, let them show them."

Dr Anwarul Haque, resident medical officer at Hatibandha Upazila Health Complex, said two of the injured had been sent to Rangpur Medical College for better treatment and the rest admitted to the upazila health complex.

Hatibandha police station officer-in-charge (OC) Mahmudunnabi said the situation was under control. "We have not yet received a complaint. Action will be taken if we receive one."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.