At least 25 people including the OC of the local police station were injured and several houses vandalized as supporters of two rival Union Parishad (UP) members clashed for the second consecutive day over establishing dominance in Sylhet's Jaintiapur upazila on Friday.
Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Molla, Jaintiapur Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC), sustained injuries while attempting to bring the situation under control.
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The hour-long clash broke out around 9am at Ghilatoil village in Nijpat union between the supporters of current UP member Monsur Ahmad and former UP member Ponki Miah. Ahmad claimed that the rival group vandalized at least 10 houses belonging to his supporters during the violence.
This followed a previous clash on Thursday night that left 18 people, including pedestrians, injured, with five sent to Sylhet for advanced treatment.
Locals said the long-standing feud is fueled by competition to control lucrative illegal smuggling and human trafficking routes in the border village, though these claims remain unverified.
To resolve the dispute, an arbitration meeting has been called by Upazila BNP General Secretary Abdul Hafiz and Darbast UP Chairman Baharul Alam Bahar.
OC Molla said the situation is now under control and legal action will be taken once written complaints are received from both sides.