A youth was shot by unknown assailants late on Thursday night in Balughat, Kumarkhali of Kushtia over a dispute regarding dominance over a sand quarry.
The victim, Akash Hossain, 30, sustained severe injuries after being shot in the left leg and is currently receiving treatment at Kushtia Sadar Hospital, where his condition is reported to be critical.
The incident occurred around 1am in Lalon Bazar area of Jaduboyra Union. Akash, a resident of Char Agrakunda in Sodki Union, is a labourer by profession.
Shortly before the shooting, at around 12:30am, assailants allegedly fired several rounds at the house of Maniar Mollah, a local leader of the Shramik Dal, in the Hasdia area of the same union.
In connection with the incident, the police arrested three individuals on the same night.
The arrested individuals are Niamat Ali, 20, a resident of Hijlakor in Sodki Union; Manik, 21, son of Hiru Pramanik, both labourers with a sand-laden truck; and Rakibul Islam,21, son of Majnuar from Khoksha Upazila.
The police charged them under section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code and sent them to court on Friday afternoon.
The incident appears to be linked to the ongoing rivalry over the sand quarry in the Elongi Acharya Mouza along the Gorai River, which has become a source of tension in the area.
In 2023, the Water Development Board (WDB) leased out about 70,000 cubic feet of sand for Tk70lakh, with Saikat Enterprise from Kushtia initially responsible for the extraction.
However, due to poor transportation access, the contractor failed to extract the sand.
Recently, Maniar Mollah, the general secretary of Jaduboyra Union Shramik Dal, along with local BNP leaders, including former Chhatra Dal vice president Mahabubul Hasan Rony, BNP leader Shamsul Alam and others, began removing the sand, despite the ongoing lease payment issues.
Authorities halted the extraction after the contractors failed to make payments.
On Thursday evening, after paying around Tk5.30lakh to Saikat Enterprise, former upazila Jubo Dal leader Atikur Rahman Shobuj and his associates began resuming the extraction.
This led to a confrontation when Maniar Mollah and his associates blocked the vehicles transporting the sand.
The situation escalated when, in the early hours of Friday, assailants arrived in five motorcycles and fired at Maniar Mollah’s house and later shot Akash in the leg. The attackers then fled the scene.
Residents of Lalon Bazar expressed fear following the incident, with most shops in the area remaining closed. At Maniar Mollah’s residence, damage from gunfire was visible at the gate. His wife, Renu Khatun, displayed several shell casings, claiming that Maniar’s associates were involved in the altercation, and that the sand workers were responsible for the shooting.
Akash’s neighbour, Sujon Ali, stated, “We were having tea at Lalon Bazar when we heard gunshots. Some individuals came and shot Akash in the leg. We couldn’t identify the attackers, but the incident likely stems from the ongoing conflict over the sand transport.”
Atikur Rahman Shobuj, a local sand businessman and former Jubo Dal leader, denied the allegations, asserting that they followed government procedures and paid the required amount to Saikat Enterprise before resuming the sand extraction. He suggested that a third party might be trying to create unrest in the area.
Dr Hossain Imam, the residential medical officer at Kushtia Sadar Hospital, reported that Akash Hossain remains in critical condition, with a gunshot wound to his leg.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kumarkhali Police Station, Jamal Uddin, confirmed the shooting incident and stated that Akash is currently receiving medical treatment. He added that while no formal written complaint has been filed, the police have arrested three suspects in connection with the incident and sent them to court.
