‘We sleep fearing another fire’

Five kilometres away from the fire that erupted at Camp-8(E), Meer Kashem was watching the smoke billow on the horizon from his home in Balukhali's West Para in Cox's Bazar on Monday.

He never thought that he or his family, their belongings, were under any danger from that distant blaze.

"That's why I was relaxed. I did not think of taking out our precious possessions from our home. Suddenly, I saw flames rising out of the rice warehouse just a few yards away. Terrified, I immediately left my home with my family," he told The Daily Star.

He said he had no idea how the fire started but later locals handed three people they saw pouring petrol on the fire over to police.

His claim was echoed by Md Rafique, village police of Palongkhali union parishad of Ukhiya upazila.

"All of a sudden, we saw that there were fires in three spots near us. The fire did not come from camp-8 which is kilometres away from our home. It was set ablaze by some miscreants," he said.

Abdul Amin, another local resident of West Para of Balukhali told The Daily Star that the three spots where they saw the fires originate included the western corner of Boli Bazar, the southern corner of the village close to Boli Bazar and the rice warehouse at West Balukhali.

The three locals who talked about the fires near their homes lost all their belongings in the fire.

Rafique said they handed the three miscreants over to police.

Rohingyas of the area said their fear of fire is a constant thanks to repeated incidents of fire.

"We go to sleep with the fear of fire. Such incidents must stop as it is traumatising us," a Rohingya woman preferring not to be named told The Daily Star.

Going through the report of national and international dailies, The Daily Star found seven fire incidents in the camps since May, 2020.

The Cox's Bazar Fire Service could not find the causes behind any of the incidents.

"We could not do it because Rohingyas don't cooperate with us in identifying the causes. Without help from witnesses, it is really difficult to get to the causes," he claimed.

Contacted, Shah Razwan Hayat, commissioner of Relief, Rehabilitation and Repatriation Commission told The Daily Star that he will talk about it once the report from the investigation committee is ready.

"Locals handed a few people over to police. Police are interrogating them but they have not divulged anything important so far. We are liaising with police to get details about the fire," he said.

Police super of APBN could not be reached over phone.

But MD Anwar Hossain, deputy inspector general of Chattogram, told reporters that a few Rohingyas were being interrogated to get details about the incidents.

'ROHINGYAS REBUILDING, LOCALS LEFT IN LURCH'

Rohingyas were trying to bounce back with help from international aid agencies while locals who were also affected by the blaze alleged they were left in the lurch as no authorities contacted them for any help.

They said belongings of around 200 local families were destroyed in the fire, but they received no aid till yesterday noon.

Md Forid Alam, a local living at C-8 in Camp-09 of Balukhali, told The Daily Star that his home along with his brother's was destroyed in the blaze and they were affected as much as Rohingyas.

"Sadly, Rohingyas are getting help while we are ignored. Is being a local a crime?" he asked.

Khaleda Begum, another local and also a victim of the fire, told The Daily Star that they went to camp-in-charge's office for help but did not get any response till the following day (Tuesday).

But Nizam Uddin Ahmed, upazila nirbahi officer of Ukhiya, said they immediately distributed relief to locals.

"We've got information about a hundred locals being affected by the fire so far. We arranged dry food for them and the neighbours also extended their hand to affected locals. Now we are giving rice, lentils and necessary materials to make temporary shelters. I have sent a letter to my superiors for corrugated sheet and cash assistance. Once granted, we will distribute that to locals," he added.

Around 10,000 homes were razed to the ground in the fire that erupted on Monday noon engulfing four camps in the world's largest refugee camp.

Yesterday, this correspondent took a walk through the charred alleys and found them filled with Rohingya refugees carrying bamboo and other necessary items to rebuild life amid repeated displacements.

Talking to The Daily Star, Rohmot Ali, a Rohingya man affected by the fire at C-8 block in camp-09 said he along with his family spent the night out in the open in a field.

"This [Wednesday] morning I received bamboo and tarpaulin from an NGO. I hope by evening, I will be able to build my temporary shelter with this," he said.

The smouldering fire was still visible at various parts of the camp as Rohingya women and children were trying to rebuild their lives.

Due to recurring displacements, they have learnt how to build makeshift shelters swiftly, Abdul Barek, another Rohingya man from the same block told The Daily Star.