A man was shot dead and at least 40 others were injured, five of them bullet hit, during a fierce clash between two rival groups at Dhamaura village under Aruail union in Sarail upazila on Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Suab Mia, 32, of Gazi group of the village.

According to eyewitness, hospital and police sources, there had been a longstanding rivalry between Talukder family and Gazi family over establishing supremacyin the village.

On Sunday evening, both groups equipped with lethal weapons including firearms locked in an hour-long clash over a trifling matter.

Suab Mia of Gazi group was shot dead on the spot while at least 40 others from both groups were injured. At least five houses and shops of both the groups were also damaged.

Of the injured, at least five people sus-

tained bullet wounds. Conditions of Emdadul Haque, 23, Akkas Mia, 22, Kawser Mia, 20, Mukter Hossain, 22, Abdus Satter, 25, Sakil Mia, 9, and Marjina Begum, 30, were stated to be critical at Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital.

Contacted, officer in-charge (OC) Uttam Kumar Chakrabarti of Sarail PS said they deployed additional forces to avert any further trouble.

A case has been filed, he added.

In Moulvibazar, a man was killed and six others were injured when two rival groups attacked each other following a dispute over a piece of land at Mubarakpur village in Sadar upazila on Saturday.

The deceased was Kazi Nesar Miah, 50, of the village, reports UNB.

Nesar Miah's son Kazi Rajon said that Noel Miah of Shahbandar village in the upazila, along with his men swooped on their house in the afternoon as a sequel to a previous enmity over a piece of land, leaving Nesar killed and six others injured.