15 injured after 4 villages clash over fruit sale in Cumilla

At least 15 people were injured after residents of four villages clashed over a dispute involving the sale of fruit at Natherpetua Bazar on the border of Cumilla's Nangalkot and Monoharganj upazilas today (24 September), police said.

The clash involved residents of Jagir and Hatimara villages in Monoharganj and Tuguria and Pujkara villages in Nangalkot.

The two sides engaged in chasing, counter-chasing and throwing bricks and stones, disrupting traffic on the Cumilla-Noakhali regional highway for some time.

Several vehicles had their windows damaged after bricks were thrown at them.

According to locals, the incident began around 11am after an argument broke out between a fruit seller from Pujkara village and a woman from Jagir village over the purchase of fruit.

The woman informed her husband about the dispute. He later went to the market with several others and allegedly assaulted the fruit seller, triggering tensions between the two groups.

The situation subsequently escalated into a clash between residents of the four villages.

Leaders of the Nangalkot and Monoharganj units of the BNP visited the area in the afternoon and urged both sides to remain calm.

Monoharganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Masud Ahmed told The Business Standard that additional police from Monoharganj, Laksham and Nangalkot police stations, along with members from the police lines, were deployed to the area.

"Police brought the situation under control and traffic resumed on the regional highway. However, tension remained in the area," the OC added.