Free Fire Feud Flares in Lalbagh

A violent clash reportedly broke out between two groups in the Amoligola area of Lalbagh, Dhaka, over the popular mobile game Free Fire. The incident left a vegetable trader named Shahid (40) critically injured. Shahid, son of Md. Abdur Rashid, lives with his family in a rented house owned by Yusuf Ali in the Kolargat area of Amoligola.

According to police and family sources, the altercation occurred late Friday night (October 4) in the Amoligola Bazar area. Following the clash, Shahid’s son Mamun — a PUBG player — rushed his injured father to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 1:30 a.m.

Inspector Md. Faruk, in charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost, confirmed the incident. He said, “An injured man named Shahid has been brought to the hospital. The matter has been reported to the concerned police station.”

Mamun stated that the conflict began while he and a neighbor, the son of one Mahmudullah (name not known), were playing Free Fire on their mobile phones. “A dispute arose during the game, which soon escalated into an argument between our family members. Eventually, it turned into a physical altercation, leaving my father seriously injured,” he added.

It is worth noting that in 2020, the High Court of Bangladesh imposed a three-month ban on all violent online games, including Free Fire and PUBG, citing their adverse impact on youth, encouraging aggression, and contributing to social decay. The ban was later upheld again on April 20, 2022.

Despite the restrictions, similar tragic incidents have continued to occur. In December 2023, the killing of a 13-year-old boy named Abdullah in Chattogram’s EPZ area — allegedly by a 15-year-old playmate during a Free Fire game — sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over the influence of such games on adolescents.