A recent fire that destroyed large portions of a refugee camp in Bangladesh has been labeled by investigators as sabotage. The Cox Bazaar refugee camp, which primarily houses Rohingyan refugees who’ve fled fighting in nearby Myanmar, has seen multiple incidents of arson and fires over the last year, but this incident is the most destructive yet. Nearly 2800 shelters and a number of clinics, schools and other key infrastructure buildings were destroyed. A panel was appointed to investigate the fire, and their conclusions, based on eyewitness testimony and investigative work, were published in a report which found the fire to be deliberate sabotage, due to the fire having started in numerous locations simultaneously. No groups were named responsible for the incident, but there will likely be further investigation into those behind it.
This fire highlights a number of issues within the refugee camp, and with the Rohigyan’s situation as a whole. The Cox Bazaar refugee camp is primarily made up of bamboo and plastic sheeting structures, along with gas stoves and other highly flammable materials, and fires are incredibly destructive. Sabotage in the form of arson is clearly effective, and will likely continue to occur, whether it be from an outside group looking to affect change or groups inside the camp vying for influence. This puts the massive population of the Cox Bazaar camp at risk, not only of having their stuff and housing destroyed, but also of losing their lives.
Link to Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64935831