4 arrested over arson attack on Tripura houses in Bandarban

Police have arrested four people over the arson attack on the makeshift houses of Tripura Christian community in Bandarban's Lama upazila, reports BSS.

Identities of the arrestees and details regarding the arrests, however, could not be known immediately.

Meanwhile, the government strongly condemned the arson attack that left the homes of the Tripura families torched in the early hours of Wednesday. "We strongly condemn the arson attack on the homes of the Tripura community in Lama upazila in Bandarban," said a statement issued by the chief adviser's press wing today.

Police have been instructed to unearth the motive behind the attack at the earliest, it added.

Chittagong Hill Tract Affairs Adviser Supradip Chakma is scheduled to visit the spot today and meet with 19 families whose makeshift "Tong" homes were torched in the attack.

Govt condemns arson attack on Tripura community houses in Bandarban

Preliminary police investigations found that the arson could be linked to a long-running rivalry between two groups of Tripura community members.

"Police are seriously probing the incident and have stepped up efforts to arrest the culprits," reads the CA press wing statement.

Also today, Deputy Commissioner of Bandarban Shah Mujahid Uddin and Bandarban Superintendent of Police Shahidullah Kawser visited the affected. "They have been ordered to extend all assistance for the reconstruction of the torched houses," reads the statement.

The district authorities have provided immediate food and relief materials to the families. 

District authorities said the affected families have permanent homes in a nearby village in Lama, and the torched homes were their makeshift "Tong" homes.

Police said a first information report (FIR) has been filed over the incident.

A Tripura community elder, who filed the FIR, has accused six rival Tripura Christian community members and a Bengali Muslim over the incident.