A gunfight over sand extraction in the Meghna River resulted in the deaths of two persons. Two people were killed in a shooting incident over a dispute related to sand extraction in the Meghna River near the Mohonpur area of Chandpur, adjacent to Munshiganj district. The incident occurred around 7:30 PM on Thursday evening. It is alleged that the attack was the result of a conflict over illegal sand mining in the river.
A gunfight over sand: The deceased are Russell Fakir (30), son of Kamal Fakir from Vashanchar village in Munshiganj Sadar Upazila, and Rifaat Khan (29), son of Akhtar Hossain Khan from the West Hanirpar area in Chandpur’s Matlab. An injured person, Ayub Ali, has been sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
According to the police, based on Ayub Ali’s statement, he, along with Russell, Rifaat, and others, was on a speedboat on the Meghna River near Mohonpur in Chandpur on Thursday evening. Around 7:30 PM, several speedboats approached their boat, and the assailants immediately opened fire on them. The three victims were later rescued and brought to Munshiganj General Hospital.
Dr. Masudur Rahman, the emergency doctor at Munshiganj General Hospital, stated that the three individuals were brought to the hospital around 9 PM. Two of them were dead upon arrival, while one was critically injured. All of them had visible wounds on their bodies, but it was unclear whether these were from gunshots at that time. Further examination after the autopsy would confirm this. The injured person was sent to Dhaka for advanced medical care.
Bilal Hossain, Additional Police Superintendent (Sadar Circle) of Munshiganj, said that although the incident occurred in Chandpur, they had received the news and came to Munshiganj General Hospital to confirm the deaths. The third victim, who was injured, was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The police believe the incident was related to illegal sand extraction.
Local sources revealed that two factions from Munshiganj Sadar Upazila have been extracting sand from different parts of the Meghna River every day. Both factions are known to be involved in river piracy. Tensions had been rising between these two groups. The victims were all part of one faction, and it is believed that the shooting was a result of this sand extraction dispute.
However, Russell Fakir’s mother, Anwara Begum, claimed that her son was not involved in sand mining. She said that Russell had spent the whole day at home sewing fishing nets and had gone to the Meghna River in the evening for fishing. She and others witnessed several speedboats moving recklessly on the river and heard gunshots around 7:30 PM. Later, they learned that Russell had been shot.
Russell’s father, Kamal Fakir, said, “The pirates opened fire. My son got caught in it and was killed. I demand justice for my son’s murder.”
