15 Injured in Clashes Between Two Groups Over a Facebook Post in Bhairab, Kishoreganj; One Seriously Hurt Sent to Dhaka
Repeated clashes broke out between two groups in Bhairab, Kishoreganj, over a post made on Facebook. At least 15 people from both sides were injured.
The clashes ran from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm on Thursday (November 5) in the Ward No. 2 area of Bhairab municipal town. Among the injured, a young man named Rahad, in serious condition, was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment. There were also allegations that four to five shops were vandalised during the clashes.
According to local sources, Maulana Shahriar, a resident of Mirbari in the Bhairabpur Dakshinpara area, posted a piece of writing and a video on his Facebook account accusing a US expatriate named Iqbal Mia of forcibly occupying local people's land and constructing a multi-storey building on it.
Over that post, Shahriar got into an argument with Raihan Mia of Amjad Ali's house in the same area. Following that, at around 7:30 pm, people from both sides clashed with locally made weapons. The clashes then spread in phases, and several shops were reportedly vandalised.
On receiving news of the clashes, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) KM Mamunur Rashid and Bhairab Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Mahbubur Rahman, along with members of the law enforcement agencies, reached the spot and brought the situation under control.
Bhairab OC Md Mahbubur Rahman said Shahriar and Raihan Mia had an argument over an issue in the Dakshinpara area in the afternoon, and the matter had even been settled locally afterwards. However, in the evening people from both sides clashed. Police quickly reached the spot and brought the situation under control, he said, adding that legal action would be taken against those involved in deteriorating law and order.
UNO KM Mamunur Rashid said a tendency to clash over trivial incidents has recently been seen in Bhairab town. To avoid such incidents, social awareness needs to be created and initiatives taken to resolve problems locally. Local leaders also have an important role in controlling clashes, he noted.
