At Least 40 Houses Attacked or Burned After Killing in Madaripur

At least 20 residential houses were attacked, vandalised, and looted following a killing over local dominance in Madaripur. During the violence, at least another 20 houses were set on fire. Law enforcement agencies are trying to bring the situation under control after receiving the news.

Police and eyewitnesses said that around 7:00 am on Tuesday in the New Madaripur area of Sadar upazila, Alamgir Howlader, a supporter of former councillor Moniruzzaman Akhtar Howlader, was hacked to death by rival groups over a dispute related to dominance.

Following the incident, supporters of the slain Alamgir carried out retaliatory attacks on the houses of people from the group of Hasan Munshi from just before evening until around 8:00 pm. After vandalising and looting the houses, they set fire to at least 20 residential houses, including the homes of Lablu Howlader, former joint general secretary of the district unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Hasan Munshi.

During the attack, supporters of Moniruzzaman Akhtar Howlader also vandalised and looted at least another 20 houses. Upon receiving the news, police, the army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the fire service rushed to the scene and are trying to bring the situation under control.

The officer-in-charge of Madaripur Sadar Police Station, Abul Kalam Azad, said that law enforcement agencies are facing difficulties reaching the spot because roads to the area have been blocked with bricks and trees. However, a joint operation by police, the army, RAB, and the fire service is underway to control the situation.

It is worth noting that the dispute over dominance between the groups of Moniruzzaman Akhtar Howlader and Hasan Munshi in New Madaripur village of Sadar upazila has existed for a long time. Although the area remained relatively calm in recent years, tensions escalated again after the government’s fall on 5 August 2024.

On 23 March 2025, clashes broke out repeatedly over the formation of rival committees of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, during which hundreds of cocktails were exploded. During those clashes, Shakil Munshi, brother of Hasan Munshi and president of a faction of the Sadar upazila unit of the organisation, was hacked to death.

Following that incident, on Tuesday morning, supporters of Hasan Munshi attacked the residence of Alamgir Howlader, a supporter of Moniruzzaman Akhtar Howlader. During the attack, Alamgir Howlader was hacked to death, and houses were vandalised and looted.

In connection with the incident, one person named Masud Bepari has been detained.