Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj

Law and order in Narayanganj has deteriorated to alarming levels, with political turf wars, drug trade conflicts, teenage gang violence, and domestic disputes leading to a spate of brutal killings. In just one month, the district has witnessed 10 murders, turning the once-bustling city into a landscape of fear. Civil society and local observers warn that a sense of insecurity is growing rapidly among residents.

The latest in this bloody series occurred on Saturday night  when two people were killed in separate incidents in Bandar upazila, just two and a half hours apart. In response, the authorities deployed not only police and detectives but also army personnel to restore order in the volatile area.

According to police and local sources, a long-standing feud between two factions of the BNP—led by expelled city councillor Hannan Sarker and controversial BNP joint convener Abul Kawsar Asha—had been intensifying over control of the Bandar railway auto-rickshaw stand and local drug trade. The Babu-Mehedi group, loyal to Hannan, and the Roni-Jafar group, aligned with Kawsar Asha, had been locked in a tense standoff for days, with clashes reported as recently as Friday.

On Saturday around 9pm, tensions escalated when Abdul Quddus, father of Roni-Jafar supporter Parvez, was reportedly lured from a tea stall and brutally stabbed after attackers failed to locate Parvez. Eyewitnesses said Quddus was stabbed indiscriminately and left critically wounded. He succumbed to his injuries at the upazila health complex.

"My brother begged for his life, saying ‘Please don’t kill me,’ but they didn’t listen,” said his brother Dudu Mia, struggling to hold back tears.

News of the murder triggered outrage in the area, as Quddus’s family blocked the Madanganj-Madanpur road in protest. Just hours later, around 11:30pm, supporters of the Roni-Jafar group allegedly launched a retaliatory attack, catching their rival Mehedi Hasan alone near the Sirajdaullah Club field. Mehedi was severely beaten and hacked with sharp weapons. Locals rushed him to Khanpur 300-Bed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

Both former councillors denied any involvement in the killings. Abul Kawsar Asha claimed, “Roni and Mehedi were once like brothers. This was a fallout between teen gangs and drug dealers. I had no political involvement.”

Meanwhile, Hannan Sarker alleged, “I had no connection to this. They are trying to frame me deliberately. In fact, my house was attacked and severely vandalized.”

The twin murders are only the latest in a spate of killings that have shaken Narayanganj in recent weeks: June 21 (Saturday): Abdul Quddus (70) and Swechchhasebak Dal leader Mehedi Hasan (42) were killed in turf war-related attacks in Bandar.

June 17 (Tuesday): The beheaded body of a man named Ratan (38) was recovered from Sonargaon. The same day, a drug-addicted youth named Johnny Sarker was killed by his parents in Fatullah, reportedly after enduring prolonged abuse. In a separate incident, Sanjida Akter (17) was allegedly murdered by her husband in Bandar. June 16 (Monday): Two unidentified bodies—one from Musapur in Bandar and another with visible injuries from Chashara—were discovered.

June 12 (Thursday): The body of fish trader Md. Sabuj Mia (35) and a woman (aged 25–30), wrapped in polythene, were found in Sonargaon with signs of torture. June 11 (Wednesday): Jubo Dal activist Mamun Bhuiyan (35) was shot dead in a political feud in Rupganj.

Superintendent of Police Pratyush Kumar Majumder told reporters: “The latest killings were driven by turf wars. We will ensure all culprits, including those behind the scenes, are brought to justice.” He added that five arrests had been made so far through joint operations by the police and RAB.

However, the SP’s attempt to downplay the violence—claiming most incidents stemmed from family or internal disputes—has failed to reassure the public. Residents point out that several of the murders clearly stemmed from political conflict, gang wars, and even the discovery of unidentified bodies—highlighting glaring failures of law enforcement.

As one civil society member put it, “Ten murders in a month—including gruesome political killings—reflect a deep crisis in public safety. These are not isolated incidents. This is systemic.”