Cumilla, Bangladesh — A land dispute in the Alekharchar area of Cumilla’s Adarsha Sadar upazila turned violent on Friday, resulting in severe injuries to a brother and sister allegedly at the hands of their paternal cousins. The attack, which was captured on video and has since spread widely on social media, has raised concerns about familial disputes and their escalation into violence.
Local residents identified the victims as Mahbubur Rahman and his sister, Sheuli Akter. According to Akter, the altercation was sparked by a confrontation over a boundary wall she erected around her legally obtained property. Akter claims that her cousins sought to demolish the wall, leading to a violent confrontation where Rahman was assaulted with bamboo sticks and local weapons, sustaining serious head injuries that necessitated hospitalization.
Following the incident, Akter attempted to file a police report at the Kotwali Police Station on Saturday. However, her effort was initially thwarted as officers at the station delayed the acceptance of her complaint. An officer-in-charge later noted that the case was under review and had not yet been officially registered.
Akter alleged that during the assault, the attackers also demanded a hefty sum of extortion money amounting to Tk 5 lakh, and inflicted property damage estimated at Tk 1 lakh. The conflict, according to family members, is part of ongoing harassment and threats from the accused against Akter’s family, despite the dispute over land ownership seemingly resolved in legal documents favoring Akter.
Sheuli Akter’s husband, Abdul Karim, supported his wife’s claims, outlining a pattern of abuse both verbal and physical that has plagued their family for months. He emphasized the legitimacy of their property claim, underscoring the ongoing nature of their distress.
One of the alleged assailants, Mokhlesur Rahman admitted to recognizing Sheuli Akter’s rightful ownership of the land but indicated that his relative, Mazharul Haque, refuses to accept this. This revelation points to internal disagreements within the family that have potentially fueled the feud.
The incident and the police’s initial hesitancy to act have sparked a discussion among the local community about the effectiveness of law enforcement in disputes involving familial aggression and land ownership rights.
The violent dispute highlights ongoing issues in rural Bangladesh concerning land disputes and the rule of law, particularly in familial contexts where emotional stakes may cloud legal judgments and escalate conflicts to dangerous levels. It also throws into sharp relief the challenges individuals face when protecting their property rights against entrenched familial opposition.
As the community waits for more decisive action from the authorities, the plight of Akter and her brother emphasizes the broader need for systemic changes to ensure disputes are resolved peacefully and legally, without recourse to violence that disrupts lives and undermines community cohesion.