Land grabbers torch house, stab three in Sylhet

Land grabbers vandalised, looted and torched the house of a Hindu family at Barkot village in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet district on Saturday.

They also stabbed three members of the family to grab the land, said police and locals.

The injured are house owner Ripon Deb, his wife and daughter. They were admitted to the upazila health complex.

A gang of 15 led by one Akbar Ali of the same village swooped on the house of Ripon around 9:00pm, said Kazol Das, convener of Golapganj upazila Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad.

As the family members resisted the land grabbers, they vandalised, looted and torched their house and stabbed the three, he said.

Ripon's father Nogendra Deb said the loss caused by the fire could go up to Tk 5 lakh.

Local influential person Akbar Ali is involved in the land grabbing, alleged Fazlul Haque Shibli, officer-in-charge of Golapganj Police Station.

Yesterday, the victim's father filed a case against five people in connection with the land occupation, said the OC.

Meanwhile, a man was hacked to death allegedly by his neighbour over a disputed land at Monsurpur village in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar the same day.

The deceased was identified as Ashkar Miah, 52.

OC Md Shamsuddoha of Kulaura Police Station said Ashkar and his neighbour Mamun Miah, 25, locked in an altercation over the land at the village around 10:00am.

At one stage, Mamun hit Ashkar with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured. Locals took Ashkar to the upazila health complex where on duty doctors declared him dead.

The victim's family filed a murder case, accusing Mamun, who went into hiding soon after the incident, said the OC.