4 bullet-hit in Madaripur clash

At least 22 people were injured, including four sustained bullet wounds, during a clash between two groups of villagers over establishing supremacy in Sadar upazila of Madaripur this afternoon.

Jahir Akan, 40, Selim Matubbar, 35, Shafiqul Akan, 30, Md Jashim, 40, were admitted to Madaripur Sadar Hospital with bullet injuries, Pijush Chandra Mandal, duty doctor of the hospital told Bangla daily Prothom Alo.

The rest of the injured were also undergoing treatment at the hospital, he said.

However, five of the victims have been referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after their conditions deteriorated, the doctor added.

The clash ensued in Kalikapur union in the upazila around 1:00pm when two groups of men -- one loyal to the UP Chairman Ezaz Akan and another following former Chairman Ahsan Matubbar -- swooped on each other, said Md Abu Nayeem, officer-in-charge of Madaripur Model Police Station.

The two groups had longstanding rivalry over establishing dominance in the area, he said.

They also set fire to two houses.

Meanwhile, police brought the situation under control soon after the incident, the OC told the daily.

Six persons were detained in this connection, he added.