At least four people were killed and more than 50 injured as two groups of auto-rickshaw drivers clashed for two hours at Baniachaung upazila in Habiganj on Thursday afternoon.
The deceased are auto-rickshaw drivers Kadir Miah, 35, son of Shukur Miah, Siraj Miah, 36, son of Bazlu Miah, Lilu Miah, 37, son of Ali Raj, and Anu Miah, 37, son of Sabu Miah.
All of them are residents of Aguagram village under Mandari union of the Baniachaung upazila, the police said.
Local people said that an altercation took place between manager of the Aguabazar auto-rickshaw stand, Badir Miah, and auto-rickshaw driver Kadir Miah at about noon over maintaining the serial of trips by auto-rickshaws.
Following the incident, supporters and relatives of Badir and Kadir locked in the two-hour-long clash at about 1:00pm with locally made weapons, including spears, that killed Kadir and Siraj on the spot and injured more than 50 others, they said.
Of the injured, Lilu Miah and Anu Miah were sent to Habiganj Sadar Hospital after recovering them from the spot in a critical condition. Lilu died at about 5:00pm while undergoing treatment there, while Anu Miah died at the hospital at about 7:00pm, the locals said.
They said that the injured were admitted to different hospitals, including Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Habiganj Sadar Hospital, Baniachaung Upazila Health Complex.
The other injured, meanwhile, were given primary treatment at local health centres after the clash.
Baniachaung police station officer-in-charge Dilwar Hossain confirmed death of three auto-rickshaw drivers during the clash. He said that they rushed to the spot immediately after the clash and brought the situation under control.
Three more critically injured were sent to the SOMCH after rescuing them from the spot, said the police officer, adding that a team of the police was deployed in the Aguagram to avert further clash.
He said that the victims鈥� bodies were kept at the HSAH morge for post-mortem examinations.
Drives are on to arrest those involved in the clash, said the police officer.
