Houses of three Hindu families reduced to ashes in Pirojpur district

sparking fear and insecurity among local minority residents. The incident occurred around 6:30 am on Saturday (December 27). The houses belonged to members of the Saha family---Palash Kanti Saha, Shib Saha, Dipak Saha, Shyamalendu Saha, and Ashok Saha. According to the affected families, the blaze destroyed all household belongings, including furniture, cash, land documents, educational certificates, and other important papers. According to the sources, most residents of Palash's household were away visiting relatives at the time of the incident, while Palash himself had stayed overnight in Pirojpur town. An elderly family member, Sandhya Saha, first noticed the fire after stepping outside in the early morning. On returning, she saw flames engulfing Palash's house and raised an alarm. Within moments, the fire spread to the adjacent houses. Local residents rushed to the spot and attempted to douse the flames, but the fire spread rapidly and could not be controlled. Fire Service personnel later arrived and managed to bring the blaze under control after prolonged efforts. Regarding the incident, Jugol Biswas, Warehouse Inspector of the Pirojpur Fire Service and Civil Defence Station, said that the exact cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed. The cause of the fire will be known after the completion of the investigation. Several houses were also destroyed in a fire at a neighboring house in the same area two years ago. Repeated incidents of fire have created fear and a sense of insecurity among Hindu local community, amid concerns over rising attacks and insecurity faced by religious minorities in parts of Bangladesh.