A farmer was allegedly beaten to death with a spade handle over a land dispute at Begumganj upazila in Noakhali on Friday.
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon in the Bashtala area of Mirwarishpur union.
The victim, Md. Nurul Haque Babul, 60, was a resident of Ledir Bari under the union's ward No. 1.
According to the victim's son, Nurul Amin Swapan, a 13-year-long dispute over 33 decimals of land had been ongoing between their family and a neighbor, Munna. A recent social arbitration settled the issue, allocating 10 decimals to the victim's family and 23 decimals to Munna. However, Munna reportedly refused to accept the decision.
On Friday afternoon, Munna began constructing a wall on the disputed land, claiming it as his own. When Nurul Haque Babul and his son intervened, an altercation ensued. Munna, along with five others attacked the victim. During the scuffle, Munna allegedly struck Babul on the shoulder with the handle of a spade, causing him to lose consciousness.
Locals rushed him to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him dead at approximately 5 PM.
Begumganj Police Station sub-inspector Kazi Zakaria stated that police visited the scene and recovered the body based on the family's complaint.
A preliminary inspection found no visible injury marks but the actual reason behind the death would be known after autopsy.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Liton Dewan confirmed that the body has been sent to Noakhali General Hospital morgue for autopsy. "We will take appropriate legal action based on the written complaint and investigation," he said.
