A devastating fire broke out early Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at the Shafiullah Kata Rohingya camp in Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar, destroying more than 300 makeshift shelters. The blaze began around 3 a.m. in a BRAC-run learning center at Block D-4 of Camp 16 and quickly spread to nearby sheds and huts. Thousands of Rohingya refugees have been left homeless, though no casualties were reported.

Multiple fire service units from Ukhia and Teknaf responded promptly and managed to bring the fire under control after about three hours. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the extent of damage has yet to be fully assessed, according to Ukhia Fire Station Master Dollar Tripura. Law enforcement personnel from the 8 APBn coordinated rescue and security operations, relocating affected residents to safer areas and deploying additional police forces.

The report notes that fires have occurred previously in Rohingya camps, including incidents in December of the previous year that damaged a hospital and several shelters, highlighting ongoing vulnerability in the densely populated settlements.