The incident occurred around 10:00 am on Tuesday (December 23) at Jaglar Char village, located on the border of wards 7 and 8 of Sukhchar Union in Hatiya upazila.

Among the five deceased, one victim has been identified as Alauddin (40), son of Mohiuddin from Char Aman Ullah village under ward no. 6 of Sukhchar Union.

According to local sources, the land at Jaglar Char has not yet been officially allocated by the government. Taking advantage of this, a group led by Kopa Samshu from Jahajmara Union sold several plots of char land after August 5. Later, a rival group led by Alauddin from Sukhchar Union attempted to seize control of the land.

Tensions escalated when Alauddin’s group allegedly sold parts of the land at higher prices, prompting both factions to independently attempt land sales, leading to repeated disputes.

Locals allege that Alauddin maintained close ties with former Sukhchar Union BNP president Belayet Hossain Selim, banned Awami League leader Nizam Member, and BNP leader Nabi, who reportedly supported efforts to evict the Kopa Samshu group and take over the char land.

The conflict turned violent on Tuesday morning when both groups engaged in a gunfight. Alauddin and four others were shot dead. Alauddin was taken to Noakhali General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Four bodies were recovered from the scene.

Police fear the death toll may rise as the situation remains tense.

Hatiya Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Saiful Alam confirmed that four bodies were recovered from the spot, while one body remains at Noakhali General Hospital. Due to the remote location of the char area, police reached the scene around 4:30 pm. The exact cause of death will be determined after post-mortem examinations.