Narail Correspondent 

The perpetrators did not stop at vandalism and looting in Lahuria, Narail; they also threatened to demolish a two-story house with an excavator if extortion money was not paid.

 Following the killing of a BNP leader in a clash between two BNP factions in Lahuria village of Lohagara upazila, the rival group carried out widespread vandalism, looted valuables, including gold ornaments, and then demanded a large sum of extortion money. If the demand was not met, they threatened to demolish a two-story house using an excavator (beku).

In Lahuria Paschimpara area, a clash broke out between the groups led by Monirul Jamaddar and Milton Jamaddar over dominance at noon on Eid day. During the clash, former Awami League leader Akbar Sheikh, a member of Monirul's group, was killed. Akbar Sheikh was the president of the Lahuria Union Ward Awami League.

After the incident, a group led by Awami League members-turned-BNP activists Abdul Haq and Akram Sheikh carried out a rampage in at least ten houses, including the two-story house of Zakir Master. They looted valuables and threatened to demolish the house with an excavator if the extortion money was not paid.

Locals said, Abdul Haq and Akram Sheikh, the brother of the deceased Akbar Sheikh, are well-known Awami League-affiliated criminals in Lahuria village, Lohagara upazila. They were associated with Abdul Hannan Shikder Runu, the former president of the Lohagara Upazila Awami League and the former chairman of Lohagara Upazila. During the previous Awami League regime, they established a reign of terror through extortion and arbitration. After the fall of the Awami League, they switched to BNP and continued their criminal activities, making the area even more unstable.

When visiting the spot,  it was observed that the household items in Zakir Master's home had been completely destroyed. The attackers looted gold ornaments, cash, ceiling fans, clothing, paddy, rice, and other agricultural products. A woman from the affected house stated that a group of 100 to 150 men and women, led by Abdul Haq and Akram Sheikh, stormed the house, vandalized it, and looted money and gold. They later demanded five lakh taka, threatening to demolish the two-story house with an excavator if the money was not paid. 

When approached for comment, Abdul Haq and Akram Sheikh refused to speak on the matter.

Lohagara Police Station OC Md. Ashiqur Rahman said, action is being taken regarding the incident. Additional police forces have been deployed in the area to ensure the safety of people and property.