Police among 25 injured in football-linked clash at Kishoreganj railway station

A football dispute between two village groups turned violent at Bhairab Railway Station in Kishoreganj, leaving at least 25 people injured — including a police officer and a Railway Security Force member — and bringing train traffic on two of Bangladesh's busiest rail routes to a standstill.

The confrontation broke out around 8:30pm on Thursday evening (June 4) after locals from Panchabati beat a young man named Liam, son of Sohel Mia of Jagannathpur, on the station platform.

The assault reignited a feud that had been festering for 15 days following a disputed football match between the two communities. Both sides descended on the station armed with sticks and makeshift weapons, turning the platform into a scene of pitched fighting and vandalism.

Md. Yusuf, station master at Bhairab Railway Station, said, "The entire station area became a battlefield. There was vandalism and chaos — trains simply could not move."

Six intercity trains on the Dhaka–Sylhet and Dhaka–Chittagong routes were held at adjacent stations, stranding thousands of passengers for nearly five hours. Services affected included the Mahanagar Provati, Mahanagar Godhuli, Parabat Express, Egaro Sindhu Express, Titas Commuter and Kishoreganj Express.

Police, RAB and army units eventually brought the situation under control. Train movement resumed at 1:50am, when the Mahanagar Express departed Bhairab station. Security forces remain deployed at the junction.

Md. Sayed Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bhairab Railway Police, confirmed the clash stemmed from the football dispute and said the situation was now under control, with a joint security presence in place.