At least five individuals were injured in a clash between two factions of Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders and activists over control of a canal at Bashila village in Naldanga upazila of Natore on Sunday.
The injured are Entaz Ali, general secretary of Madnagar Union BNP鈥檚 ward no-8 unit, Abdur Razzak, organising secretary of ward no-9, and fishermen Habibur Rahman, Salim, and Ujjal.
Witnesses and police reported that a longstanding dispute between the residents of Bashila and Halti villages over the Zia Canal, which flows through Halti Bil, escalated as water levels in the canal decreased.
For the past two weeks, BNP leaders and activists from both villages have been vying for control of the canal for fishing purposes.
On the day, a group from Halti village, led by BNP activist Md Folen, went to Bashila village armed with sticks to seize control of the canal. When Bashila villagers, including BNP members, resisted, a clash broke out, leaving five injured from both groups.
Naldanga police station officer-in-charge Mostafizur Rahman stated that they intervened to bring the situation under control. However, no formal complaints had been lodged as of Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, Naldanga upazila BNP general secretary Sakhawat Hossain denied the incident鈥檚 connection to the BNP, asserting it was a conflict between villagers rather than a political dispute.