Published by Prothom Alo ( Bangladesh) : 05 Feb 2025, 03: 01

A Buddhist monastery and an institution for children in Mongshoipru Para in Paindu Union of Ruma Upazila in Banadarban were gutted by fire Tuesday night.

The fire, which originated around 7:45 pm, spread rapidly as the monastery and the institution were constructed with wood and bamboo fencing.

Although the fire could not be brought under control in time, some religious artifacts, including 18 Buddha statues and eight brass bells, were saved.

Mongshoipru Para is located around 10 kilometers from Ruma Upazila headquarters. The area lacks roads accessible to fire service vehicles.

Following the outbreak of the fire, local residents attempted to extinguish it using water. However, as the monastery was situated at some distance from the residential area, no houses in the village were affected.

A resident of the village, Mongshoikhay Marma, told Prothom Alo that the villagers were unable to control the fire despite their efforts due to the wooden and bamboo structure of the buildings, combined with strong winds.

He said they managed to recover 18 Buddha statues along with several religious artefacts.

He further stated that the children’s learning centre adjacent to the monastery was operated by the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board with funding from UNICEF.

The centre provided pre-primary education to children from 30 families in the village.

Chaikhew Marma, the president of the monastery management committee and a former member of Paindu Union Parishad, estimated that the fire caused damage worth several lakh takas.

Meanwhile, Indrabangsha Bhikkhu, the chief monk of the monastery, informed Prothom Alo that the fire originated from an electrical short circuit.

At the time of the incident, the monks and other residents of the monastery were engaged in kitchen activities.