Flames engulf Khagrachhari school overnight, burning it down

The damage is over Tk 2 million, says the principal of the school

A fire has gutted a private school in Khagrachhari's Ramu Upazila.

The fire broke out at Kalabari High School around 7:45pm on Saturday, said its Principal Md Abdul Kader.

He said, "The fire originated on the western side of the school building and spread very fast. The entire schoolhouse burnt down quickly. No one was inside the school at the time.”

Stating that the fire caused over Tk 2 million in damages, Kader said: "There is nothing left of the classroom, the teacher's room, the office rooms, computers, IPS, or furniture. Everything has been burnt to ashes."

The school authorities say that the school was established in 2022 in Kalabari, a remote area of Patachhara Union of the Upazila, at the initiative of the then deputy commissioner of Khagrachhari, Pratap Chandra Biswas, and then Upazila executive officer (UNO) of Ramgarh, Khandaker Iftekhar Uddin Arafat.

Ramgarh UNO Kazi Shamim, president of the school management committee, said: "After receiving the news, Fire Service personnel from Ramgarh rushed to the spot. However, the school was completely burnt down before they reached the scene."

He said the cause of the fire will be investigated.

Ramgarh Fire Station In-charge Biswantar Bikash Barua said that when the blaze was reported, two units of firefighters quickly rushed to the spot and started extinguishing the flames. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.