, Nov. 15 -- Sand pirates opened fire on locals who attempted to stop illegal sand extraction from the Meghna River in Bhola on Saturday, leaving four people injured - three of them with bullet wounds, police said.

The injured were identified as Shajahan Mir, 70, Md. Ali, Apurba Patwari, and Shafiur Rahman.

The attack occurred around 11:30 am in the Bhabanipur Char area of Meghna under Kachia Union in Bhola Sadar Upazila.

Police and local resident A. Sattar said a dredger had been illegally extracting sand from an erosion-prone area outside the Meghna government sand mining zone since morning.

More than a hundred locals in two trawlers blocked the dredger and notified district and upazila authorities.

Police and magistrates were disp...