Pabna, May 22 (V7N) — A local Jamaat-e-Islami leader was critically injured in a knife attack allegedly carried out by a group of youths over a longstanding local dispute in Bhangura upazila of Pabna district on Thursday night.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on Thursday (May 21) in the Dashmorich area of the upazila. The injured, Zillur Rahman (50), is a resident of Dashmorich village, former secretary of Khanmorich Union Jamaat, and a school teacher by profession.
The accused include Abdur Rahman (25), son of Abdul Jalil of Kaliyanjiri village, along with several unidentified associates. Jamaat sources claimed Abdur Rahman is a local BNP activist, although this has been strongly denied by BNP-affiliated student leaders.
According to Khanmorich Union Jamaat Amir Hafiz Abul Kalam, the conflict began earlier in the day when Abdur Rahman allegedly made derogatory remarks toward Zillur Rahman, leading to an initial verbal altercation. He claimed that during the dispute, a companion of Zillur Rahman slapped Abdur Rahman twice, which later escalated the violence.
Later in the day, Abdur Rahman reportedly returned with 8–10 associates and went to Zillur Rahman’s house, where they allegedly assaulted his mother first. The attackers then searched for Zillur Rahman at a local school. Failing to find him there, they allegedly intercepted him on the road around 8 p.m. and attacked him with sharp weapons, leaving him seriously injured.
Locals rescued the victim and took him first to Bhangura Upazila Health Complex. Due to the severity of his condition, doctors referred him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
Following the incident, tensions escalated in the area. Public anger over alleged police inaction prompted a visit by Pabna-3 constituency Jamaat-nominated candidate Maulana Ali Asgar to Bhangura Police Station, where he led a protest demanding immediate arrest of the attackers.
“Why was my leader left bleeding like this? We demand answers from the administration,” he told reporters during the protest.
However, Khanmorich Union Chhatra Dal Convener Saddam Hossain rejected allegations linking BNP or its student wing to the attack, calling it a political propaganda attempt. He claimed the incident stemmed from a local dispute involving social tensions.
Bhangura Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sakiul Azam said no formal complaint has yet been filed, but police are aware of the incident and are conducting operations to arrest the accused.
Police confirmed that two individuals have already been detained in connection with the case, while raids are ongoing to capture others involved.
Local lawmaker Maulana Ali Asgar said he visited the police station immediately after the incident and demanded swift action against those responsible, describing the attack as brutal and life-threatening.
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