Contractor Rivalry Turns Kailashahar into a Battleground: Gunfire, Clashes, and Sharp Attacks Trigger Waves of Public Outrage

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, November 19, 2025

A tense and chaotic situation unfolded in Kailashahar’s Tilla Bazar area on Tuesday as a dispute over contracting business escalated into open violence. Reports confirm that gunshots were fired and sharp weapons openly brandished, creating panic across the locality and prompting widespread criticism over the lack of administrative and political control.

According to local sources, the trouble began earlier in the afternoon inside the PWD office, where a heated argument broke out over contract work. By evening, the situation spiraled into a full-blown clash at Tilla Bazar.

The conflict reportedly erupted between two contractor groups, one from Irani Gram Panchayat and the other from Lathiyapara Gram Panchayat. The spark was a roadwork tender allegedly secured under the licence of a contractor from Tilla Bazar, with the work awarded in the name of the contractor’s brother.

Following the tender allotment, threats and intimidation allegedly began. Liton Ali, brother of the injured Mithun Ali, stated that although they received the work under a licensed contractor from Tilla Bazar, opposition groups from Lathiyapara arrived and instigated violence soon after learning about the contract.

Local residents strongly condemned the incident. Badruzzaman, Vice-Chairman of Gournagar Panchayat Samiti, said such violence in Tilla Bazar was completely unacceptable. He added that gunfire and armed attacks over contracting business had created fear among residents and highlighted a worrying breakdown in administrative oversight.

Though no one was hit by bullets, several individuals sustained serious injuries from sharp weapons. They were initially treated at the district hospital and later referred to Silchar for advanced medical care.

Meanwhile, contractor Liton Miya mentioned that tenders for road construction had recently been floated for areas under Irani and Nurpur panchayats, a development believed to be linked to the escalating rivalry.

The incident has triggered widespread criticism across Kailashahar, with citizens demanding swift action and strong intervention to prevent such lawless clashes from becoming a recurring reality.

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