Violent Clash Stalls Traffic on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway as Rival Groups Battle in Bhairab

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Violent clashes between two local groups paralyzed the Dhaka-Sylhet highway on Wednesday night, leaving thousands of commuters stranded as traffic ground to a halt across the region. The conflict, which erupted around 8:15 p.m. at the Bhairab bus stand, triggered a massive gridlock stretching for kilometers and turned the transportation hub into a site of destruction and unrest.

The confrontation stems from a power struggle over the management of a local microbus stand. Sources indicate that tensions had been building for several days after residents from the Bhairabpur area attempted to impose their preferred driver on the stand’s president, Siyam, who is also the local municipal labor party leader. When Bhairabpur residents allegedly vandalized the stand on Wednesday evening, supporters from Siyam’s neighborhood of Kamalpur retaliated with weapons, leading to a pitched battle directly on the highway.

The violence forced a complete suspension of traffic on the Dhaka-Sylhet and Bhairab-Mymensingh highways. By 10:30 p.m., the gridlock had extended as far as Narayanpur in Narsingdi and Ashuganj. Amidst a power outage that left the bus stand in darkness, rioters vandalized and looted local businesses and an educational institution, punctuated by the sounds of cocktail explosions.

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Police efforts to restore order were initially unsuccessful, as the groups continued their hostilities under the cover of darkness. Stranded passengers expressed frustration over the repeated disruptions in the area, noting that this incident follows a violent clash near the Bhairab railway station just six days earlier, which had crippled rail service for several hours and left dozens injured.

Local political leaders, including Bhairab BNP general secretary Ariful Islam, attempted to intervene to clear the highway and allow traffic to resume. While the officer-in-charge of Bhairab police station did not respond to direct inquiries regarding the ongoing investigation, he later informed local media that efforts were underway to gradually normalize traffic flow. As of late Wednesday night, the situation remained volatile, with thousands still waiting for the arterial road network to reopen.