Dhaka: On the night of Friday, January 5th, a fire erupted at the entrance of an ancient Buddhist monastery located in the Cheranghata area of Ramu upazila in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh.

The incident occurred at 2 a.m. when the priests of the 150-year-old monastery were asleep, as reported by Abu Taher Dewan, the officer-in-charge of Ramu police station. Upon hearing the cries for help from the priests, local residents rushed to the scene and successfully extinguished the fire. Ramu Fire Service also arrived promptly and brought the situation under control. However, a wooden staircase inside the monastery premises was consumed by the flames.

While there was significant damage to the stairs, the quick response from locals and authorities prevented more extensive destruction. The Buddhist monastery holds special significance for the Rakhine community of Cheranghata.

Following the incident, a substantial police presence was deployed in the area. Law enforcement began investigating the matter, examining CCTV footage to determine whether the fire was accidental or an intentional act of sabotage.

Subsequent findings indicated that a 'masked man' had climbed the monastery wall, poured kerosene on the staircase, and set it ablaze. This information was confirmed by Jamilul Haque, spokesperson for Rapid Action Battalion-5.

Officer-in-charge Abu Taher Dewan stated, "Everything will be clear once we identify the youth in the CCTV footage and the person who called the Fire Service."

Addressing the incident on social media, the Awami League party, led by Sheikh Hasina, accused cadres of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of orchestrating the arson attack. Notably, the incident occurred just two days before the general election in the Islamic Republic.

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