Two people were hacked to death and another was critically injured in a violent attack allegedly triggered by a dispute in drug trade proceeds and establishment supremacy in Khoksa upazila of Kushtia district early Saturday (July 18).
The gruesome incident took place at around :am in Debinagar village under Osmanpur Union of the upazila.
According to locals and eyewitnesses, a group of 20 to 30 men, allegedly led by accused local criminal Samirul Islam, attacked the house of alleged drug trader Salim Hossain in Debinagar. Sensing the attack, Salim managed to flee before the assailants reached the house.
However, three people were inside the residence at the time: Faruk Hossain of Debinagar, Abdul Sheikh of Khanpur, and Mulluk Mondal of Sripur.
Local sources claimed that both Faruk and Salim were known in the area for their alleged involvement in the drug trade. Faruk reportedly had several narcotics-related cases against him and had been released on bail only last Thursday after serving a lengthy period in prison.
Locals informed that Faruk and Salim had previously operated under Samirul's influence but had recently fallen out over the distribution of drug proceeds, leading to escalating tensions. Several local sources also claimed that Samirul had long carried out criminal activities in the area under the patronage of Osmanpur Union Parishad Chairman Ohidul Islam Dabul. These allegations could not be independently verified.
Failing to find Salim, the attackers allegedly hacked the three men inside the house with machetes and other sharp weapons. Faruk Hossain and Abdul Sheikh died at the scene, while Mulluk Mondal was rushed to Kushtia General Hospital in critical condition.
Police recovered the bodies and sent them to the hospital morgue for autopsy. Additional police have been deployed to maintain law and order as tension continues in the area.
Officer-in-Charge Molla Jakir Hossain of Khoksa Police Station said police suspects the killings engulfed from a dispute over drug money and internal rivalry. He added that no case had yet been filed, but multiple police teams were conducting raids to arrest those involved.