Md Samrat Talukdar kalia, Narail

A man was killed and another injured in a clash between two groups centering around a football match in Kalia upazila of Narail district on Friday (July 11).

The deceased was identified as Zillur Rahman Sardar, 55, son of late Hashem Sardar of Kulshur village under the upazila. The injured is Jitu Molya, 20, a student and son of Anwar Molya of Panchkaunia village in the same upazila.

According to locals, the incident took place on the premises of Eklas Uddin Secondary School, located in Kulshur village. Although the playground is geographically situated in Kulshur, a long-standing dispute over its control has been ongoing between the Sheikh family of Babupur village and the Molya family of nearby Panchkaunia village.

On Friday afternoon, players from Babupur village were playing football on the field when residents from Panchkaunia arrived, triggering an altercation between the two sides. The situation escalated into a clash, during which Jitu Molya was physically assaulted and injured by individuals from Babupur.

Shortly afterward, a group of people from the Sheikh family of Babupur allegedly attacked Kulshur village. They stormed the house of Kalia Municipality Awami League president Mujibur Rahman Sardar. When his cousin, Zillur Rahman Sardar, tried to intervene, he was brutally hacked with sharp weapons.

Zillur was initially taken to Kalia Upazila Health Complex and later transferred to Khulna Medical College Hospital due to his critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries around 7:30 PM while undergoing treatment.

Locals said that there has been a deep-rooted enmity between the Sheikh family of Babupur and the Sardar family of Kulshur. On May 16 this year, a previous clash occurred between the two groups following an alleged assault on the imam of Babupur Jame Mosque, during which shots were reportedly fired. Several individuals were arrested and sent to jail in connection with that incident.

Family members of the deceased Zillur alleged that the murder was premeditated and a direct consequence of the ongoing feud. Attempts to get a comment from the accused members of the Sheikh family were unsuccessful, as none were willing to speak to the media.

Kalia Police Station OC Abdullah Al Mamun said, “Initial reports suggest that the clash erupted over a football match, leading to one fatality. Police operations are underway to apprehend those involved. Additional police have been deployed in the area, and the situation is currently under control.