According to investigators, the recent fire that destroyed the world's largest refugee camp was an intentional and planned act of sabotage. The fire, which occurred on March 5th, left around 15,000 Rohingya refugees without a home, and damaged 2,800 shelters.
The government official leading the investigation claimed that militant groups started the fire to take control of the camps. The fire broke out in multiple places simultaneously, indicating that it was premeditated. There were no reported casualties, but the fire caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure, including medical clinics, schools, and service points in several districts.
The seven-person panel that was formed to investigate the incident presented its report on Sunday after interviewing 150 eyewitnesses. It recommended further investigation to identify the groups responsible for the fire. The Cox Bazar camp, which houses over one million Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar, is made up of overcrowded, squalid huts that are vulnerable to fires. In the past two years, there have been 222 fire incidents, including 60 cases of arson.