A prolonged gun battle between the local 'Kakon' and 'Kalu' gangs for control over the waterways of the Padma River triggered panic among fishermen and residents in Kushtia on Tuesday.

The exchange of gunfire began around 2pm near the confluence of the Padma and Garai rivers and Digri Char in Ishwardi, Pabna, and continued intermittently for several hours till evening.

Locals claimed they easily heard over 100 gunshots during the daylong clashes.

According to locals, members of the Kakon gang took positions with speedboats and boats at Digri Char, across the Padma from the Mahanagar Tack area of Haripur in Kushtia Sadar upazila. Members of the Kalu gang were positioned in the Kalabagan area of Digri Char, in Ishwardi of Pabna.

Local boatman Nayan said members of the Kakon gang arrived on a trawler and opened fire. Two more boats joined them around 4pm, Nayan said, adding that gunshots were heard intermittently from 2pm until evening.

Another witness, Shabuj, said gunfire was heard intermittently, and that the Kakon gang in particular seemed more prolific, although there was no telling whether either side was doing any damage with its firepower. 

Sub-Inspector Shafiuddin of the River Police said an intelligence team was investigating the sequence of events to determine who had opened fire. They still had no information as to whether anyone had been abducted.

There were no reports of casualties at all, till the filing of this report at 9.30pm.

Rajshahi River Police Superintendent Mohammad Billal Hossain said they had received reports of the gunfight and sent personnel to the area along with a team from Ishwardi Police Station.

He added that the River Police and district police personnel had taken positions as far as Kalabagan during the exchange of fire, but had not heard any further gunshots.

As evening fell, the exact locations of the two groups remained unclear.