Residents of two villages in Kuliarchar, Kishoreganj, fought a fierce battle with fishing spears (tenta) over a dispute for local dominance and the theft of banana bunches from an orchard.

The clash took place on Saturday (4 May) between the residents of Kala Kupa and Madhua Char villages in Chhaysuti union of the upazila. It lasted from 2:30pm to 3:45pm and turned the whole area into a battlefield. Police arrived on being informed and brought the situation under control with a baton charge.

At least 15 people of various ages were injured in the clash and have been admitted to local hospitals and clinics.

Locals said people of Kala Kupa village accused several residents of Madhua Char of stealing banana bunches from an orchard in Kala Kupa. Tension had been running between the two villages for a week over an earlier dispute about dominance in the area and the banana theft. To avoid any clash or untoward incident, the two sides sat for an arbitration (salish) on Saturday afternoon, mediated by local notables. Local Awami League leaders and public representatives attended.

During the arbitration an argument broke out and tension spread between the two sides. Hundreds of people from the two villages then clashed with local weapons including spears, ek katiya, holonga and sticks. Chases and counter-chases continued from 2:30pm to 3:45pm.

Iqbal Hossain, alias VP Iqbal, chairman of Chhaysuti Union Parishad, told Jago News that the clash and chases between the two villages were over the banana theft, and that a number of people were injured.

Sarowar Jahan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kuliarchar police station, said people of the two villages sat for an arbitration on Saturday afternoon to settle the banana theft, but an argument led to a clash between the two sides. "Some people were injured, but thanks to police action nothing like a killing took place. The situation is now under control," he said.

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