Staff Reporter :
Two members of Hizb-ut Tawhid, a suspected militant outfit, were killed in a clash with same villagers at Chashirhat Purkora village of Sonaimuri upazila in Noakhali on Monday. About 50 other people were also injured in the clash.
The deceased were identified as Ibrahim Khan Rubel, 28, son of Nurul Haque and Md Solaiman Khokon, 28, of Purkora village. Superintendent of Police (SP) in Noakhali Khandaker Elias Sharif said that the deceased are members of the Hizb-ut Tawhid.
During the clash, several shops and houses were torched and vandalised in the village. The office of the Hizb-ut Tawhid was also torched by the villagers, said the eyewitnesses.
On information, fire-fighting unit rushed to the spot and recovered two charred bodies from a torched house.
A tense situation was prevailing in the area following the clash. Police, RAB and BGB members were deployed in the area to avoid further untoward incident. Police have lodged an FIR in this regard. However, no arrests have been made so far.
The clash took place at the Purkora village of Kashirhat union at noon over construction of a mosque. Locals protested construction of the mosque by the members of the outfit that ensued the bloody clash between the Hizb-ut Tawhid members and the villagers, reports a correspondent from Noakhali.
Some days ago, the suspected Hizb-ut Tawhid members started construction of the mosque. Last month, they held a meeting to reorganise themselves. A dispute has been continuing over construction of the mosque.
SP of Noakhali said that the clash broke out as a sequel to previous enmity. He said that some 100-150 Hizb-ut Tawhid men gathered at the house of former UP member Nurul Haque for holding a meeting on Sunday night. Sensing the presence of the activists of the outfit, local people cordoned off the house of Nurul Haq early on Monday.
Later, the clash took place between the villagers and the Hizb-ut Tawhid members. The agitated local people then vandalised some shops and houses, including the house of Nurul Haque, and set those afire.
On information, a fire-fighting unit rushed to the spot and recovered two charred bodies from the house of Nurul Haque.
Local people also put up barricade on Sonaimuri-Laksham Road, disrupting traffic movement for one hour.
