Control Over Bus Stand: Pedestrian shot dead as 2 groups clash in Cumilla

A pedestrian was shot dead and four other people were injured in a clash between two groups in Cumilla's Shashongachha bus stand area yesterday afternoon.

Deceased Jamil Hasan Arnab, 30, was a staffer of the Satata Paribahan counter at the stand.

He had recently graduated from the Cumilla Victoria Government College and was the joint convener of Cumilla South unit Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, said Farid Uddin Shiplo, convener of the unit.

Of the injured, three suffered bullet wounds. Two of them -- Nazmul and Anik -- were sent to hospitals in Dhaka for better treatment.

Firoz Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said the two groups clashed around 2:30pm over establishing supremacy at the stand in Shashongachha.

After being shot, Arnab was taken to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, where he was pronounced brought dead, the OC said.

Many of those involved in the clash are supporters of the ruling Awami League men, he said.

Abdul Mannan, superintendent of police in Cumilla, said the clash occurred over establishing supremacy but political rivalry did not play a role.

He said two people were detained over the incident and additional police personnel were deployed in the area.

Locals said the clash broke out over taking control of the racket of extorting money from the bus, human haulier and CNG-run auto-rickshaw stands in the area.   

Police and locals said there was a long-standing dispute between two factions known as "Abul Kashem Group" and "Molla Bari Group" over control of the stand. Both groups had the backing of top Awami League leaders, they said.

Abul Kashem Group has been controlling the bus stand area for long but local AL leaders a couple of months ago gave control of the area to Rabbi Alauddin-led "Molla Bari Group", intensifying their rivalry, they said, adding that both groups used to have showdowns with firearms since then.

Yesterday, Abul Kashem group went to the bus stand area to retake control, leading to the clash with their rival group. Arnab was shot in the chest as the groups exchanged fire, the sources said.

Arnab's father Md Azharuddin said he was on his way to the Satata Paribahan bus counter from his nearby house in Shashongachha area. He was killed despite not being involved in the clash, Azharuddin said.

Locals said Shashongachha is a hub of buses plying from Cumilla to Dhaka, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Brahamanbaria and Sylhet.

Besides, there are human haulier and CNG-run-autorickshaw stands nearby. So, extortion in the area is a very lucrative business, they said. 

Sadar upazila AL Organising Secretary and transport leader Ahmed Niaz Pavel told The Daily Star that the issue was about establishing dominance in the area, and not an intra-party feud. There were Awami league men among the injured, as well as among those accused of carrying out attacks, he said.