Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj

A deadly clash broke out between two factions of the BNP in Bandar upazila of Narayanganj over the control of an auto-rickshaw stand and local dominance. 

Two individuals were killed in the incident: Abdul Kuddus (70), son of late Sadek Ali from Hafezibagh area, and Mehedi Hasan (42), son of late Abdul Jalil Munshi from the nearby Shahi Mosque area. 

At least seven others were injured during the clashes, which took place around 9:00 PM on Saturday in two separate locations — near the Shahi Mosque and Sirajdoula Club field.

According to local residents and police sources, tensions had been escalating over the past few days regarding control of an auto-rickshaw stand near the Bandar railway line. The conflict involved two rival factions — one led by Babu and Mehedi, followers of expelled BNP leader and former councilor Hannan Sarkar, and the other by Roni and Zafar, followers of Metropolitan BNP’s joint convener and former councilor Abul Kawsar.

On Friday, both sides engaged in a confrontation involving chasing, counter-attacks, and physical altercations, leaving several people injured. The next night, Abdul Kuddus, father of Parvez — a supporter of the Zafar faction — was allegedly lured out of his shop and brutally hacked to death by the rival group.

Police reported that in retaliation, around 11:30 PM, members of the Roni-Zafar faction chased down Mehedi and his associates near the Sirajdoula Club field. Mehedi was severely beaten and attacked with sharp weapons. Locals rushed him to the 300-bed hospital in Khanpur, Narayanganj, where doctors declared him dead. Tensions have remained high in the area since the incident.

Mahfuzul Sourav, Mehedi’s brother-in-law, said, “When the first murder happened, Mehedi was at home. He lived about a kilometer away in the Amin Residential Area. While searching for the perpetrators, they found Mehedi on the street.”

“They dragged him to the Sirajdoula Club and beat him mercilessly. His chest, head, and face were completely disfigured. We found his body at the hospital.”

When asked about the incident, Abul Kawsar Asha stated, “Roni and Mehedi used to be in the same group. From their student politics days, they were like brothers. Both were jailed together during the Awami League regime.”

“But over the past six months, disputes over control of teenage gangs, drug trade, and local influence led to rising tensions.”

He denied any involvement, saying, “Both of them were close to Hannan Sarkar. Their conflict arose from local issues. I have no involvement in this. Both Mehedi and Roni are like brothers to me. I have no conflict with Hannan either. People are dragging me into this for political reasons, but this is not a political matter.”

Attempts to contact Hannan Sarkar for comment were unsuccessful despite repeated calls and messages.

Since the back-to-back killings within a few hours, the area remains tense. On Sunday afternoon, additional police forces were deployed in the Bandar railway line area to maintain law and order.

According to a police source, both factions have gone into hiding following the incidents. District Superintendent of Police Pratyush Kumar Majumder visited the scene in the morning. He stated, “These murders stemmed from local turf wars. No one involved — either directly or behind the scenes — will be spared. Everyone responsible will be brought to justice.” He also confirmed that two separate murder cases would be filed and that at least three suspects had already been arrested in a joint police-RAB operation conducted that night.

Bandar Police Station's Investigation Officer Saiful Islam said, “The clash occurred due to a conflict over local dominance. Abdul Kuddus and Mehedi were both stabbed to death. Their bodies have been recovered and sent to Narayanganj General Hospital morgue for autopsy. Preparations are underway to file cases regarding the incident.”