[Bangla Daily Star] Mystery shrouds arson attacks on Buddhist temple and orphanage at Patiya, and looting and vandalism at another temple at Boalkhali in the last three days.The incidents, carried out in similar fashion, have sent shock waves through the Buddhists in the areas. They hark back to September last when two temples were vandalised at Kolagaon union in Patiya. Also that month, fanatics destroyed 18 Buddhist temples, monasteries and more than 50 houses at Ramu upazila in adjoining Cox's Bazar district.
On Saturday, a fire broke out at Dhatu Chaittya Bihar under Mukut Knight village in Patiya around 3:00pm.
Suman Sri Vhikhu, chief monk of the temple, told The Daily Star that it was an arson attack, but he did not know who were behind it.
Suman said he was at Patiya Sadar to buy some religious books for the temple when the arson took place.
"When I returned, I found all valuables, including my laptop, TV and furniture in my room of the temple, gutted by the flames," he said, adding that the Sramons (junior monks) and villagers doused the fire later on.
None of the neighbourhood could also say who set fire to the temple.
Around the same time the following day, the temple's orphanage was burned down. Again, no one knew who committed the arson.