At least two people were shot dead and 25 others injured in a clash between two groups in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar yesterday afternoon over control of Nandarani Tea Garden.
To avert any untoward incident, local administration around 10:00pm imposed a ban on gatherings at the tea garden at Patrakhola of the upazila and adjacent areas for an indefinite period.
The deceased were Fakhrul Islam, 65, and Shukur Ali, 22, Kamalganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Amulya Kumar Chowdhury confirmed. Identification of the injured could not be known.
Locals, however, claimed that another person was also killed in the deadly clash.
They said officials and staff of South Asian International Limited, owner of the tea estate, fled the area after police came in.
Two houses and two vehicles were vandalised during the clash. Police have been deployed at the tea estate. Journalists and locals yesterday were barred from entering the place.
Zohir Ahmed Choudhury, general manager of the firm, said that one Nirmal Chowdhury of Sylhet was the owner of the tea garden. His wife Shukla Chowdhury leased it to the company around 14 years ago.
But, Shubhrota Ahmed Chowdhury Anika, her daughter, in October last year leased the garden to another party on a basis of 'power of attorney'. Both her parents had died years ago.
Zohir Ahmed said he had filed a general diary with Kamalganj Police Station on February 9 seeking security at the garden.
However, on Friday afternoon, hundreds of people of the new owner went to the garden to take over. The violent clash took place as the existing authority tried to prevent the move.
Fakhrul, the firm's secretary, and Shukur, a cook of the garden manager's bungalow, were bullet hit and died on the spot, he added.
The Kamalganj OC said they had no information about the death of another person (3rd one). “Till now at least 10 injured have been admitted to different hospitals. We do not have any information whether any injured person died in hospital,” he added.
Nurul Islam, additional police superintendent of Moulvibazar, told local journalists that the tea garden is situated in a remote hilly area. So they could not confirm the number of injured people.
The situation is now under control, he added.