Gunfight over sand quarry dominance kills ‘Shooter Mannan’ in Munshiganj

Police say two men with him leapt into the Meghna River, their status still unknown

A clash over control of a sand quarry in Munshiganj’s Gajaria Upazila has left one man dead and four others injured in a gunfight.

The incident unfolded around 10am on Monday in the Meghna River near the Kalipura, said Sub-Inspector (SI) Jahangir Alam Khan of the Gajaria River Police Outpost.

The deceased Mannan Noyon alias “Shooter Mannan”, 43, was from Joshtitala village in Imampur.

Among the injured was his associate “Hridoy Bagh”, 25, along with three others.

Local residents said the wounded were being treated in secret, and that the atmosphere in the area remains tense.

Speaking to journalists, Mannan’s wife Sumi Akter said she lives in Narayanganj with their 11-year-old son.

“My husband had a feud with Lalu from Hoglakandi village. For months, he had been threatening to kill him. Lalu and his group have now done exactly that,” she said.

SI Jahangir said Mannan was shot dead during the confrontation and his body was later found on a drifting trawler in the river.

“We arrived after receiving information about the clash and recovered Mannan’s body from a floating trawler. He was wearing a half t-shirt and Lungi,” he said.

According to locals, Mannan’s body remained on the trawler for several hours before police retrieved it at around 1pm.

Gajaria Police Station chief (OC) Anwar Alam Azad said Mannan and his men came under fire while on a trawler in Kalipura. The attack was carried out by a rival group known as the Piyas-Nayan gang, described by police as river pirates.

“Mannan’s group fired back. Mannan was killed on the spot while his associate Hridoy Bagh was injured. Two others jumped into the Meghna, but their fate remains unknown,” the OC said.

Authorities linked the incident to previous clashes at the Sholoani sand site.

According to police, on 16 July, three extortionists were arrested while collecting “illegal” toll at the Sholoani sand quarry.

Jannat Hossain, the cashier of the site, filed a case naming Hridoy of Hoglakandi as the prime accused.

Hridoy returned to the area on the night of Jul 17 and staged a show of force alongside “Shooter Mannan” and their followers.

That incident saw crude bombs exploded and gunfire exchanged. Monday’s violence is believed to be a continuation of that same conflict.

Official data show that in the past ten months, at least four people have died and many others have been injured in eight separate clashes linked to illegal sand extraction.