At least 20 people were injured in a violent clash between residents of Satpakhia and Borichhara villages in Khosha upazila on Friday morning over the sale of trees from a century-old cemetery.
The confrontation erupted at the Satpakhia cemetery in Gopgram Union when the local management committee began earth-filling work funded by the sale of 10 mahogany trees.
The move was opposed by villagers from Borichhara, triggering a violent clash between the two sides.
Eyewitnesses said hundreds of Borichhara villagers, armed with local weapons, arrived at the cemetery site and attempted to stop the work. The situation quickly escalated into a chase and counter-chase that lasted for nearly 45 minutes, leaving at least 20 people injured.
During the clash, attackers also defaced the cemetery wall by erasing the names of the current committee members and related inscriptions using red paint.
The Satpakhia cemetery, spread over 16 bighas of land and containing valuable mahogany trees, has long been at the centre of a dispute over ownership and management between the two villages. While the Satpakhia committee currently oversees the site, Borichhara villagers claim historical rights over the land.
Shukur Ali, a labourer at the site, said around 200 people led by former Union Parishad chairman and Gopgram BNP leader Masud Ahsan Shibli attacked workers engaged in development work with sharp weapons, forcing them to flee for safety.
Masud Ahsan Shibli, however, rejected the allegations, claiming that the cemetery land was originally donated by their ancestors and that Satpakhia villagers had unlawfully sold trees to establish control over the site. He said Borichhara villagers went to stop illegal tree cutting and were attacked first.
Satpakhia Cemetery Committee President Abu Musa said the Borichhara group had no legitimate role in the management of the cemetery and had repeatedly been stopped from interfering.
He said the tree sale was approved by the committee and the proceeds were being used for development work, adding that their workers were attacked without provocation.
Police later arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. Authorities said both sides have been asked to remain calm, and legal action will be taken if formal complaints are filed.
