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Published : 19 Dec 2025, 01:00 PM
A house belonging to former Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs minister Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing has been set on fire in the Bandarban.
The fire broke out at the residence in the Rajar Math area shortly after midnight on Thursday. Bandarban Fire Service said it received a report of the blaze around 12:55am.
Witnesses said a group of around 20 to 25 men had earlier held a brief protest march at a traffic intersection in Bandarban town following news of the death of Inqilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
The group later moved towards the Rajar Math area, chanting slogans, before setting fire to the former minister’s residence.
The flames spread quickly through the building.
Iftekhar Mahmud, a warehouse inspector with the Bandarban Fire Service, said firefighters were initially unable to begin extinguishing the blaze despite reaching the scene promptly.
“Our personnel were prevented several times from working,” he said, adding that protesters cut three Fire Service hoses.
He said the Army was later called in to remove the protesters, after which firefighters were able to bring the fire under control at around 2am, roughly an hour after operations began.
By that time, the ground floor of the building had been completely damaged, he said. The fire did not spread to the upper floors or to nearby structures.
Two cars and two motorcycles parked at the property were also destroyed in the fire.
Police said two officers were injured during the incident.
Bandarban Sadar Police Station chief Masud Md Shahed Parvez confirmed the injuries, while the district’s Superintendent of Police Abdur Rahman said the overall situation in the district remained under control.
“It is very unfortunate that someone suddenly chose to take such action. If people remain calm, the situation will stay calm. We request everyone to be patient.”
He added that police and Army patrols had been stepped up across the district to maintain law and order.
