Fire destroys Buddhist tribal chief’s palace in Bangladesh

DHAKA - A fire has destroyed the palace of Raja Debashish Roy, chief of the Chakma Buddhist tribe, in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts, a media report said Friday.

The “mysterious” fire Wednesday night totally destroyed the palace in Rangamati “within minutes”, The Daily Star reported.

No member of the royal family was present during the fire. Raja Debashish Roy was in Bangkok and his daughter was in Dhaka.

The palace was reputed to have rare books and furniture that were handed down over centuries. Fire fighters could save nothing as the fire burnt the palace to ashes within half an hour.

A five-member inquiry committee headed by an additional deputy magistrate was formed soon after the incident.

Subrata Chakma, Roy’s personal aide, said some valuable assets, including a chair used by Queen Kalindi Rani, books, documents and important papers were there when the fire broke out.