A long-standing land dispute in Bhola’s Lalmohan turned deadly on Wednesday when a clash over harvesting coconuts left one man dead and nine others injured. Police have since arrested four suspects, including the primary accused.
The deceased, Md. Masud Hawlader (50), was the son of the late Ali Azgar and a resident of Ward No. 10 in Lalmohan Municipality.
According to police and the case statement, Masud and his neighbor, Md. Akhtar, had been embroiled in a land dispute for years. The tension boiled over Wednesday afternoon when Akhtar and his associates attempted to forcibly harvest coconuts from a tree on Masud’s property. When Masud’s daughter, Masuma, tried to intervene, a heated argument escalated into a violent confrontation involving sticks and blunt weapons.
The clash left six members of Masud’s family and three from Akhtar’s side seriously injured. Local residents rescued the victims and rushed them to Lalmohan Upazila Health Complex. As Masud’s condition deteriorated, doctors referred him to Barishal for advanced care. However, he succumbed to his injuries inside an ambulance near the Bheduria area of Bhola Sadar at approximately 11:30 PM.
Lalmohan Police intervened to restore order shortly after the fight. On Thursday morning, Masuma filed a murder case naming Akhtar as the lead suspect among 13 accused.
Md. Masud Hawlader, Inspector (Investigation) of Lalmohan Police Station, confirmed the details: "The violence stemmed from a dispute over land and coconut harvesting. We have already arrested four people, including the main accused, and are conducting raids to apprehend the remaining suspects. The arrested individuals are currently being processed for court."
