Soil business dispute sparks arson at Feni JCD leader’s home

A dispute over the local soil trade led to an arson attack on the house of a Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader at Sharshadi Union in Feni.

The incident took place in Uttar Fatehpur village of the Union around 9:00pm on Friday (April 4).

The property belongs to Mohammad Saifuddin, president of Feni Alia Kamil Madrasa Chhatra Dal and former acting general secretary of Shershadi Union Chhatra Dal. Two houses, including the kitchen area, were reportedly destroyed in the fire.

Saifuddin alleged that his mother and sister were locked in a room during the attack.

According to police and local sources, the region has long witnessed tensions among factions of the BNP and its allied organizations over control of the soil business, with prior extortion claims adding to the conflict. The immediate trigger was a dispute over blocked trucks transporting soil for a brick kiln on Thursday night, which escalated into threats, physical attacks, and abductions targeting Saifuddin’s family and associates.

Two fire service units brought the blaze under control.

Senior Station Officer Shahadat Hossain said the houses and kitchen were completely burned and the cause of the fire will be determined after investigation.

Efforts to reach the accused were unsuccessful. One suspect, Mir Mosharraf Hossain, denied involvement, claiming he arrived only after hearing about the incident, while Nasir Uddin also denied any role.

Shershadi Union BNP General Secretary Tarek Iqbal called for exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.

Feni Police Inspector (Investigation) Sajal Kanti Das said the attack is believed to be the result of internal party disputes. No formal complaint has been filed yet, and additional police personnel have been deployed in the area.