Fire at police academy barrack in Rajshahi

A fire broke out in a barrack for trainee sub-inspectors at Bangladesh Police Academy in Sardah of Rajshahi early yesterday.

The documents and belongings of 68 cadets residing in the barrack on the ground floor of a six-storey building were burnt.

The loss caused by the fire was primarily estimated at around Tk 20 lakh, said fire service officials.

However, no casualty was reported in the fire originated from an electric shot circuit around 5:45am, they said.

The cadets were training outside when the fire broke out, Mizanur Rahman, superintendent of police (admin) at the academy, told The Daily Star.

Three fire fighting units from Puthia, Charghat and Rajshahi rushed to the spot 15 minutes later and doused the blaze around 6:30am, said Farhad Hossain, senior station officer of Rajshahi Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Electric overload caused such a short circuit, he said.

“We are looking into whether anyone was illegally using a heater for cooking,” said the SP.

He said Additional SP Sharif Uddin of the academy will head a five-member committee to investigate the matter and report within seven days.