40 hurt as villagers clash in Sylhet

At least 40 people were injured during a clash between two groups of villagers in Jaintapur upazila of Sylhet on Monday night.

Police quoted witnesses as saying that a youth from Hemu Haudpara village went to Haripur Bazar to buy a pair of shoes around 8:30pm.

The trouble began when the buyer and the shop owner Ramiz Ali, a resident of Balipara village, locked in an altercation over the price of the shoes.

At one stage, Ramiz Ali and employees of the shop beat up the youth mercilessly.

Soon after the incident, people of the two villages locked in an altercation over the issue at the Bazar and at one stage, they swooped on each other, leaving at least 40 people from both sides injured.

Witnesses said at least 7/8 shops of the Bazar were ransacked during the clash that continued for nearly five hours.

Being informed, law enforcers from Jaintapur Police Station went to the spot, dispersed the clashing groups and brought the situation under control around 1:00am, said Shafiul Kabir, officer-in-charge of the police station.

Of the injured, 10 were admitted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital while the rest given first aid at the local health complex.