Around 40 lessees were injured as a gang hired by landowners attacked them at Bandarbhita village in Alamdanga upazila under Chuadanga district yesterday.
The criminals also torched six betel leaf gardens raised by the lessees.
The incident followed lessees' protest against landowners' decision to double the lease money unilaterally.
Around a hundred small farmers of Bandarbhita have been cultivating betel leaf taking lease of around 500 bighas of land from different people of the area for five years, said police and locals.
The period of lease contract will end in 2012.
Several days ago, the landholders unilaterally increased the lease money to Tk 12,000 from 6,000 and warned the farmers not to go to the garden without payment of the increased money, sources said.
When a few lessees went to the betel leaf garden yesterday, men belonging to one Chand Mohammad attacked them with bamboo, iron rods and other weapons at about 2:30pm. They mercilessly beat up farmers Hafizur, Alef and Tikka.
As the news spread, other lessees rushed to the spot but they also came under attack by the men of landowners.
Around 40 lessees were injured during the incident.
The hired goons also set fire to six betel leaf gardens on the leased lands.
Police and Rapid Action Battalion from Chuadanga rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
The injured were admitted to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital.
They include Hasem, Shahid, Hafizul, Ummat, Matiar, Monwar, noor box, Hannan, Taleb Asikul, Mamun and Badal.
Seriously injured Shahid was shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.
The lessees alleged that the landowners' men made the attack and torched the betel leaf gardens to oust them.
A tense situation was prevailing there.
Patrol has been increased in the area to avert any untoward situation, said Chuadanga Police Superintendent Nazrul Islam who visited the spot.