The victims were identified as BGB soldier Shawn, 28, Sahab Mia, 58, and his two sons Ali Akbar, 28, and Ahmed Ali, 22, of Battola area.

Hearing death news of husband and two sons, Shahab’s wife Rawshan Akhter Ronju Bibi died of cardiac arrest.

Police sources and locals said labourers were loading tree trunks on a truck when a BGB team from Khagrachhari area appeared there around 11am and asked them to refrain from doing that.

Witnesses said the labourers told the BGB team that they had legal documents to do that but the BGB men kept insisting them to stop.

At one stage, both the parties got involved in an altercation and engaged in a fierce fight leaving the four people dead and two others injured with bullet.

Injured Mofiz Miah, 50 and Md Hanif, 28, were sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital after giving primary treatment at Matiranga Health Complex.

Later at a briefing at the health complex, Md Khorshed Alam, assistant superintendent of police’s Matiranga circle, confirmed the deaths.

Rawshan suffered a massive heart attack and died subsequently as she came to know about the death of her husband and two sons.

Army Guimara Region Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Shahriar Jaman, Deputy Commissioner of the district Protap Chandra Biswas, Police superintendent Md Abdul Aziz, acting superintendent of police MM Salauddin, Matiranga Upazila Nirbahi Officer Bibhishon Kanti Dash, Matiranga municipal mayor and Matiranga upazila Awami League president M Humayun Morshed Khan visited the spot around 3pm.

Meanwhile, a three-member committee with Additional District Magistrate Khandakar Rezaul Karim as its head was formed to investigate the incident.

Victim’s family members claimed that, the BGB members carried out the attack without any provocation.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) claimed that five people, including its member, were killed at Gazinaogaon Bazar in Matiranga upazila in  Khagrachhari district on Tuesday morning  as civilians snatched the arms of the paramilitary force and opened fire in an uncontrolled way.

Civilians surrounded the BGB patrol team when members of the paramilitary took steps to prevent illegal wood smuggling some 100 yards off from Gazinagar Bazar at around 11:45 am.

“This created tense situation between the BGB patrol team and civilians,” said a BGB press release here on Tuesday evening.

The civilians snatched the BGB's arms and fired uncontrollably after BGB fired one shot into the air following a scuffle. The BGB soldier Shawn and five civilians sustained bullet injuries. As a result, BGB member Shawn and four civilians died, the BGB release said.

The BGB Guimara sector commander, Guimara Region commander of the army, Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachari district and Superintendent of Police all visited the scene.

In the wake of the incident, they have begun investigating the incident. After investigation, necessary steps will be taken, the press release added.