In what can only be described as peak rural absurdity, a sleepy intersection in Sarail of Brahmanbaria, turned into a battlefield on Monday – all because a cow accidentally brushed against a parked auto-rickshaw.
The mayhem kicked off around 11:30am on Monday at the Annada Government High School crossroads. A chap from Syedtula village had nipped off, leaving his three-wheeler idly parked. Along came Malu Mia from neighbouring Chanmoni Para, leading his cow toward the market.
To squeeze past, he gently shifted the auto-rickshaw – only for the bovine to give it a casual bump.
What followed was less "moo" and more "fracas".
A heated row erupted between the two men, swiftly escalating as mates from both villages piled in, armed with whatever "indigenous weapons" they could grab (think sticks, farming tools, and sheer enthusiasm).
The skirmish raged in fits and starts until 4:30pm – a full five hours – leaving about 30 people nursing injuries from both sides. The wounded were patched up at local clinics and Brahmanbaria General Hospital.
Sarail Police Station OC Md Manjur Quader Bhuiyan confirmed the bovine blunder sparked it all, adding that calm has now returned to the area.
One can't help but wonder: in a country where cows often roam freer than the traffic, was this clash udderly inevitable? Police say the situation is under control, but locals might want to keep an eye on wandering livestock – just in case.
Abul Hasnat M Rafi/MHK/NMA