Rohingya refugee camps in B’desh face fire safety crisis
DHAKA, March 8: Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps face a chronic fire safety crisis, with 2,425 fires recorded between May 2018 and December 2025, affecting over 100,000 people and destroying more than 20,000 shelters. High population density—up to 95,000 people per square kilometre—and shelters made of bamboo, tarpaulin, and plastic rope, combined with open-flame cooking, make fires almost inevitable. Plans for 50,000 semi-permanent, fire-resistant shelters remain unfunded following 2025 international aid cuts. Humanitarian agencies focus on emergency responses, but underlying risks persist. After a January 2026 fire displaced 2,185 people, CARE Bangladesh pledged to incorporate fire safety education into shelter programs. Experts note the crisis is a predictable outcome of political decisions to house nearly a million refugees on inadequate land, with long-term infrastructure investment hindered by the temporary status of the settlements. (IANS)
Border operation claims 583 Taliban deaths in Pak
ISLAMABAD, March 8: Pakistan’s security forces have killed 583 Afghan Taliban operatives and injured 795 more in the ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, launched on February 26 following Taliban attacks on 53 border locations. According to Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan has destroyed 242 Taliban check posts, captured and demolished 38 others, and neutralized 213 tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery pieces. Airstrikes have targeted 64 locations across Afghanistan. In addition, Pakistani forces thwarted an infiltration attempt by three Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in Chaman, killing one and recovering explosives and fence-cutting equipment. Earlier, several Taliban posts were destroyed in aerial strikes in North Waziristan. Officials said the operation will continue until the threat of cross-border militancy is fully eliminated, emphasizing the heavy losses suffered by the Afghan Taliban. (PTI)
One killed, two injured in Pak petrol panic buying
LAHORE, March 8: A man was killed and two others critically injured after customers opened fire at a petrol pump in Punjab, Pakistan, following a dispute amid panic buying over fuel shortages linked to the US-Iran conflict. The incident occurred in Sialkot when two men, denied filling petrol into jerry cans by station staff, later returned with automatic weapons and attacked the workers. The deceased was identified as 25-year-old Muhammad Sibtain. Police arrested main suspect Khawaja Munib and registered a murder and attempted murder case against him and four accomplices. Panic buying across Pakistan intensified after authorities raised fuel prices by PKR 55 per litre. Some Punjab petrol stations temporarily closed, causing long queues. The surge in oil costs, triggered by the Strait of Hormuz disruptions, is expected to push up prices of essentials, transportation, and commodities by 20–25%, increasing the financial burden on consumers. (PTI)
