A 23-year-old youth was stabbed to death in a clash between leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League and its youth front Juba League in Natore town over sharing of money for construction work on Tuesday.
The deceased, Shihsir Hossain, is son of Mojahar Ali of the Kandivitua area under the Natore municipality.
According to Natore municipality officials and witnesses, Roknuzzaman Hero, a Natore municipality ward 5 councillor and also general secretary of the ward 5 unit of the Awami League, and Hasanur Rahman Hasu, general secretary of the ward 5 unit of Jubo League, had recently carried out construction work of drains in ward 5 jointly.
A dispute, however, ensued between them over sharing of the profit from the work.
On Tuesday, Natore municipality mayor Uma Chowdhury Jolly sat with Roknuzzaman and Hasanur in an arbitration meeting at her office at about 2:00pm and settled the dispute.
The duo groups, however, locked into a clash among them after coming out of the mayor鈥檚 office, leaving Shishir, a follower of Roknuzzaman, critically injured and several others, including Hasanur, injured.
Later, Shishir and Hasanur were rushed to Natore Sadar Hospital where the doctor on duty declared Shishir dead.
Asked about if any councillor could be involved in a contract project in his own ward, mayor Uma Chowdhury Jolly said that a person named Ashfaqul Islam got the contract but Roknuzzaman and Hasanur got the work under sub-contract.
Tariqul Islam, superintendent of Natore district police, said that they had taken councillor Roknuzzaman and JL leader Hasanur in police custody following the incident.
He said that Hasanur was sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for treatment under police custody as he sustained stab injuries in the incident. 鈥楬owever, none has lodged any complaint with the police so far,鈥� he added.
