More than 7,000 left homeless, after fire devours Rohingya camp in Bangladesh, arson suspected

Thousands homeless

As per the United Nations refugee agency, "nearly 7,000 Rohingya refugees" had been left homeless, but there were no casualties.

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Act of Arson

The blaze tore through the tightly packed complex of bamboo and tarpaulin shelters in the early hours of Sunday morning at a camp in the country's southeast, said refugee commissioner Mizanur Rahman, as reported by AFP.

"At least 711 shelters were fully burnt and 63 were partially damaged," said Rahman, who put the number of homeless at 4,000.

"We have ordered a probe into the fire," he added. "We suspect it is an act of arson".

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Mosques destroyed

The UN said 120 facilities, including learning centres, mosques and healthcare centres, had also been "destroyed or damaged by the inferno".

Some refugees had to tear down their homes to create corridors to stop the fire from spreading further.

"Refugees displaced by the fire are temporarily taking shelter within the camp’s community centres," the UN refugee agency said in a statement.

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Fires common in Rohingya camp

Particularly during the dry season from November to April, fires in the dozens of Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh are common. However, many of the fires are also driven by violence between rival Rohingya groups.

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Turf wars

Police said security in the camps has worsened, with more than 60 refugees killed in turf wars and drug-related clashes last year, the highest number on record.

In March 2023, a fire in Kutupalong camp — one of the world's largest refugee settlements — destroyed 2,000 shelters. Two years earlier, at least 15 Rohingya were killed and another 50,000 refugees were made homeless after a blaze in the same camp.

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