Rohingya camp in Ukhiya catches fire again

At least 200 houses were burnt down as a Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya caught fire today. The fire ensued at Kathaltali Bazar at D-3 block in the Rohingya camp in Palangkhali union at around 1:00pm.

Several units of fire service, Armed Police Battalion (ApBN) members and local volunteers doused the fire.

Armed Police Battalion (APBn)-8 captain additional deputy inspector general Md Amir Jafar said the fire originated at Kathaltali Bazar (Camp-13) at around 1:00pm and quickly spread to the adjacent houses of the camp.

Two units of fire service rushed in and tamed the blaze around 2:45pm.

He said how the fire ensued could not be ascertained immediately.

The same Rohingya camp caught fire on 24 May burning down over 300 houses of the camp. Rohingya leaders say clashes have been taking place between Myanmar's two armed groups over control of refugee camps and drug smuggling. Armed groups are systematically setting fire to Rohingya settlements to disrupt the peace in the Rohingya camps.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan visited the camp on Friday afternoon. Inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman, APBn chief Selim Mohammad Jahangir, Chattogram range police’s DIG Nure Alam Mina, among others, accompanied the home minister at that time.

The minister asked the law enforcers to take stern action against the armed groups.

Rohingya leaders said tension had been prevailing inside the camp as criminals of an armed group attacked an APBn member last night. The members of this armed group set fire on the camp in broad daylight to destabilize the situation, they alleged.

Over 1.2 million Rohingyas are living at 33 camps in Ukhiya and Tekhnaf upazilas of Cox’s Bazar right now. Of them, 800,000 came after 25 August in 2017. Over 2300 APBn members from three battalions are providing security in the Rohingya camps.