News No. 128/2011, May 29, 2011
THE office of the Hill Student's Council's Panchari Upazila unit and seven shops were gutted by fire at College Gate area in Panchari, Khagrachari.
The fire originated from the PCP office at midnight last night. Invaluable documents and office furnisher have been lost to the fire.
The total loss of properties in seven shops in terms of money has been estimated at Taka 2,500,000 or $ 34722.
Gobinda Chakma, owner of a tea shop gutted by fire, said he was watching TV at his shop when the fire broke out.
"At about 11:45pm, when I was watching TV, my dogs began to bark. I went out to see whether there was anything wrong.
As I saw nothing unusual I got back in. But the dogs barked again and after ten minutes, I heard people shouting "fire, fire" and went out of the shop.
By that time the PCP office had completely burnt to ashes."
He continued: "I don't think that the fire originated from an electric short circuit.
My view is that it is an act of sabotage."
PCP leaders echoed him, saying it's a part of a conspiracy to drive a wedge between UPDF and JSS (M N Larma).
On 16 May, unidentified miscreants set UPDF office afire in Dighinala.
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