Two brothers died of injuries at Faridpur Medical College Hospital on Thursday night, around two hours after they were hacked by unidentified criminals in Barasori Shoshanghat area of Alfadanga upazila.

The victims, Edrish Mollah, 48, and Lablu Mollah, 42, were from Sotrokanda village in Boalmari upazila.

Edrish was the vice-president of Shakhor union Awami League and Lablu was the vice-president of Shakhor union Jubo League, the youth front of the ruling AL. The siblings had businesses of garment products and furniture at Alfadanga bazar.

Locals suspected that the brothers were killed over a longstanding political rivalry between Md Israfil Mollah, chairman of Shakhor Union Parishad, and Abul Kalam Azad, member of Faridpur Zilla Parishad. Both Israfil and Kalam are vice-presidents of Boalmari upazila AL.

The deceased were supporters of Israfil.

Quoting locals, police said a gang of 12-14 masked criminals intercepted the brothers in Shoshanghat area around 9:30pm on Thursday when they were returning home by a rickshaw van after closing their shops. The attackers beat up the van puller; hacked the two brothers indiscriminately and fled the scene.

The siblings were rushed to Alfadanga Upazila Health Complex around 9:45pm. Later, they were shifted

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to Faridpur Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced them dead around 11:30pm.

According to locals, there has been a longstanding rivalry between Israfil, chairman of Shakhor Union Parishad in Boalmari, and Kalam, member of Faridpur Zilla Parishad, over establishing political supremacy in the area.

AL nominee Kalam lost to Israfil in the last UP chairman election. Israfil had contested the election as an independent candidate.

A few days ago, some supporters of Israfil hacked a supporter of Kalam, locals alleged.

Israfil said Kalam's men might have killed the two brothers as one of his supporters came under attack from unknown criminals recently.

Refuting the allegation, Kalam, however, said, “I don't know anything about the killing of the two brothers."

Autopsies were carried out on the victims' bodies at Faridpur Medical College Hospital. Police handed over the bodies to the duo's families last evening.

Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Boalmari Police Station, some additional policemen were deployed in Sotrokanda village to avoid any further deterioration in law and order.

Alfadanga police said they picked up five people in the upazila's Tika Kheyaghat area around 11:00am yesterday in connection with the double murder.