A young man named Sohan Bepari was killed in a crude bomb explosion in Jajira upazila of Shariatpur. The blast also blew off the tin roof of a house. The incident occurred early Thursday (January 8) in the Mulai Beparikandi area of Bilaspur union.
According to local residents and police, there has been a long-standing dispute over dominance between supporters of Bilaspur Union Chairman Kuddus Bepari and Swechchasebak League leader Jalil Madbar in Jajira upazila. From time to time, supporters of the two sides clash using locally made weapons and hand bombs.
Police said the explosion occurred while crude bombs were being manufactured inside a newly built house belonging to Sagar Bepari, a cousin of Kuddus Bepari. Sohan Bepari was killed in the blast, and his body was later found in a nearby crop field. Two others were seriously injured and were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for treatment.
The house was built about three months ago by Sagar Bepari with financial assistance from Kuddus Bepari. However, Sagar and his family had not yet moved into the house as it had no electricity connection.
Following the incident, Sagar’s wife, Shilpi Begum, said, “My husband drives a van. We built the house with help from others. We were thinking of moving in after a few days. I woke up at dawn after hearing a loud blast. Later, I learned that a crude bomb had exploded in our new house. I don’t know who stayed in the house at night. As there was no household furniture inside, it was not kept locked.”
Another local woman, Sajeda Begum, said, “There used to be frequent clashes in the area. Supporters of the two sides often fought. For about a year, things were calm as many people were in jail. Now it has started again like before. We do not want any fighting.”
Rabeya Khatun, another local resident, said, “At first, I thought a transformer had exploded. When I opened the door, I saw a lot of smoke and some people running away. Since the incident, we have been living in fear.”
Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Tanvir Hossain said police visited the scene after receiving the information. “One body has been recovered and sent to the district hospital morgue for autopsy. We are investigating the matter seriously, and necessary legal action will be taken,” he said.