In Bhairab, Kishoreganj, protesters blocked the railway on Monday (27 October) from 10:30 AM to 11:40 AM, demanding district status for Kishoreganj. During the protest, stones were thrown at trains, leaving at least 20 passengers injured.
The rail blockade disrupted the schedules of five trains, including the Karnaphuli Express, the Chittagong-bound container train, the Titas Express, and the Chattola train. The Karnaphuli Express was delayed for 1 hour and 10 minutes, causing major inconvenience to passengers.
The protests followed the proposal by the Ministry of Public Administration on 11 October to include Kishoreganj district in the Mymensingh division, which sparked widespread discontent among the residents of Bhairab. Since then, locals have been conducting peaceful demonstrations. Participants included members from BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Chhatra Shibir, Gonodhikar Parishad, Khelafat Majlis, Islami Andolon, and University Student Council.
During the blockade, speakers stated that despite 15 days of peaceful protests, the interim government had not addressed their demands. They announced a schedule of blockades: road on 26 October, rail on 27 October, and waterways on 28 October.
Student leader Shahriar said, “Some troublemakers threw stones at the train to disrupt our movement. We immediately cleared the train.” Railway Police Officer-in-Charge Syed Ahmed stated that the perpetrators would be identified and brought under the law.
Meanwhile, local residents and concerned citizens strongly condemned the stone-throwing and the railway blockade.