One Killed in Clash Over Facebook Posts in Nabiganj, Section 144 Imposed

In Nabiganj Upazila of Habiganj, a violent clash between residents of two villages over Facebook posts resulted in the death of Faruk Talukdar (42) on Monday afternoon. The hour-long clash in the upazila headquarters saw tires being set ablaze, creating panic in the town. Nearly 100 people from both sides were injured, and several shops were vandalized. The army and police intervened to bring the situation under control, while the upazila administration imposed Section 144 in Nabiganj town, which will remain in effect until midnight on Tuesday.

Faruk Talukdar, a resident of Timirpur village and son of Awal Talukdar, was an ambulance driver by profession. Sheikh Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Nabiganj Police Station, confirmed to Prothom Alo that Faruk was attacked with sharp weapons during the clash. He was initially taken to Nabiganj Upazila Health Complex and later referred to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. He succumbed to his injuries around 9 PM on Monday while being transported on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in the Sherpur area. His body has been sent for autopsy.

According to police and local sources, the conflict originated on July 4 when a local media worker, Ashayed Ali from Anmun village, was allegedly assaulted by Selim Talukdar, another media worker from Timirpur village, and his associates over derogatory Facebook posts. During the incident, Anmun villagers detained two youths from Timirpur and handed them over to the police, sparking anger among Timirpur residents. This led to a brawl between the two villages three days prior to Monday’s incident. On Monday afternoon, residents of Anmun and Timirpur villages gathered with sticks and local weapons following announcements. The clash erupted in the upazila headquarters, with both sides using bricks, spears, and sharp weapons, turning the town into a battlefield. The Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) M. Ruhul Amin confirmed that Section 144 was imposed to restore order.

Faruk’s father, Awal Talukdar, told Prothom Alo, “My son was injured with sharp weapons during the clash. He passed away while being taken to Sylhet for better treatment.”