Five police among 30 injured as Bhairab clash halts traffic on two highways

A dispute over control of a microbus stand sparks violence, causing long tailbacks up to Narsingdi and Ashuganj

At least 30 people, including five police personnel, have reportedly been injured in clashes between two groups in Bhairab.

The confrontation brought traffic on two major highways to a complete standstill for around four hours.

The incident took place on Wednesday night near Bhairab Bus Stand, said Bhairab Police chief Ataur Rahman Akand.

Armed with sharp weapons, hundreds of residents from Komolpur and Bhairabpur engaged in clashes that continued until midnight, turning the bus stand area into a battlefield.

The violence created tailbacks stretching at least 2km on both sides of the Dhaka–Sylhet and Dhaka–Bhairab–Kishoreganj highways.

On one side, congestion reached Narsingdi’s Narayanpur, while on the other it extended up to Ashuganj, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and in severe hardship.

Citing local residents, police said a microbus stand office operates at the Bhairab bus terminal.

Bhairab Municipality Jatiotabadi Shramik Dal President Md Siam, a resident of Kamalpur, runs the facility as its head, but rival elements from Bhairabpur had been trying to expand their footprint at the hub, creating simmering tension.

The standoff boiled over on Wednesday evening when the two sides first came to blows over fares at the microbus stand, with the Bhairabpur group allegedly vandalising the premises.

Around 8:15pm, residents of Komolpur rallied behind the stand president and moved to confront the Bhairabpur group.

Both sides then engaged in clashes on the highway using local weapons.

Officer Ataur said police rushed to the scene to bring the situation under control, but he and four other officers were injured while attempting to intervene.

Police eventually cleared the highway around midnight.

The station chief said traffic returned to normal on both highways after the four-hour disruption.

Additional police were deployed in Durjoy intersection and Komolpur.

Speaking on Thursday morning, Ataur said no case had yet been filed and no arrests had been made.

The latest violence comes just days after clashes erupted at Bhairab Railway Station on Jun 4 between residents of Panchabati and Jagannathpur over a football match.

Rail services on the Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet and other eastern routes were suspended for four-and-a-half hours, while the station's control room and the Railway Police Station were vandalised.

At least 30 people, including six police officers, were injured.