Rangamati:A social media claim suggesting that extremist Muslims set fire to Hindu homes in Bangladesh has been debunked. The video used to support this claim actually depicts an accidental fire in Rangamati, not an arson attack.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the fire occurred on August 3 in the Gathachhara area of Mainimukh Union under Langadu Upazila. It was caused by an electrical short circuit, affecting a residential house and three furniture factories. There were no casualties, though the financial losses were estimated between Tk 80 lakh to Tk 1 crore.
Fact-checking by BanglaFact, the Press Institute of Bangladesh's fact-checking body, traced the footage to an August 3 Facebook post by 'The Daily Rangamati'. The post described the incident as a significant fire, with army personnel, firefighters, and local residents working together to control it.
Reports from Jamuna Television and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha confirmed that the fire began at a furniture workshop and spread to nearby structures. Jagonews24 reported that it started at the factory owned by furniture businessman Alal. Locals attempted to extinguish it, but it spread to factories owned by Tarikul Badsha and Russell and a nearby house.
The Bangladesh Army also shared information about the incident on its official Facebook page.