Seven shops and five houses near Alikadam Upazila Bazaar in Bandarban district were completely burnt to ashes.
On Thursday 13th at four in the morning seven shops and five residential houses were burnt down in Alikadam Sadar Union No. 2 Ward Khullamia Chairman's neighborhood.
According to local and fire service sources, the fire started suddenly from a shop at four in the morning and spread instantly. Two units of the fire service were able to bring the fire under control after three hours of efforts when the fire service was immediately alerted. Seven shops and five residences were gutted.
Nazrul Islam, the affected owner of various machinery parts shops, said that he also did not know from which shop the fire started, adding that his goods worth more than five lakh rupees were burnt.
The owner of the shop Chenwara (55) said that he thought that someone had set the fire because of the former enemy.
Md. Shahdat Hossain, firefighter of Alikadam Fire Service Station, said that the damage to the seven shops and five residential houses that were burnt is estimated to be more than two million rupees. When asked about the source of the fire, he said that he thinks that the fire may have started from an electrical short circuit.
Alikadam Sadar Union Chairman Nasir Uddin said seven shops and five residential houses were burnt down in a fire at four in the morning in Barek Colony, Ward No. 2, Khullamia.
He said that he is going to the spot for on-site inspection.
Alikadam Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Mehruba Islam said that the upazila administration will provide full assistance by listing the victims of the burnt shops and houses.