Gambling and Aftermath
One killed, 80 hurt in series of clashes, houses set on fire
Burnt down and vandalised houses and gardens, running for shelter and cry of hapless people -- all are consequences of a series of fierce clashes between rival villagers at Kumarpara and Ghashipur in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district and Krishnarampur in Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur district, following a feud over gambling at Ghashipur village on Saturday afternoon. Photo: STAR
Series of clashes between villagers left one person dead and 80 others injured in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district and Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur district in last two days. A man was killed and 50 others were injured as two groups of villagers in Chatra union of Pirganj upazila got locked in clashes over gambling at Omarpur of Ghashipur village on Saturday and Sunday, reports our Rangpur correspondent. Altaf Hossain, 35, of Kumarpur village died on his way to Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) on Saturday afternoon as he was seriously injured in a fierce clash between people of Kumarpur and Ghashipur villages, said Rowshan Mostafa, officer-in-charge of Pirganj police station. As a sequel to Saturday's incident, the villagers again engaged in a clash yesterday and around 50 people were injured during the two days' incidents, said police and locals. Twenty-seven of the injured were admitted to Pirganj Upazila Health Complex, 10 to Rangpur Medical College Hospital while the rest were given primary treatment. Eyewitnesses said hundreds of people of Kumarpur with sticks and local weapons attacked the residents of Ghashipur village and set fire to their houses. They also looted belongings from there. Three platoons of police from the divisional headquarters, one platoon of armed police from Bogra and a team of Rapid Action Battalion have been deployed at the two villages to bring the situation under control, said Saleh Mohammad Tanvir, superintendent of police in Rangpur. Our Dinajpur Correspondent adds: Thirty people of Krishnarampur village in Ghoraghat upazila under Dinajpur district were injured as a large group of people from Chatra union in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district went on rampage yesterday in search of people fleeing for shelter following clashes over gambling. The miscreants also set fire to at least 30 houses of the area, causing damage to around 5,000 maunds of paddy and 200 maunds of rice in addition to household things, said police and locals. They also looted valuables including cattle. The wounded people were admitted to Ghoraghat Health Complex. Male people of Krishnarampur village fled away fearing further attack.
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