Cox's Bazar: As many as 2,000 shanties were gutted as a fire broke out at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar area of Bangladesh, leaving a large number of people homeless, media reports said on Sunday.

The police have detained a young refugee man over the incident, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, commissioner of refugee, repatriation and relief told bdnews24.

“They are investigating whether it was an act of sabotage," Mohammed Mizanur Rahman told the news portal.

As many as 11 Fire Service and Civil Defence units rushed to the site and brought the fire under control.

The firefighters took around 3 hours to bring the flames under control.

Shamsud Douza, an additional commissioner of refugee, repatriation and relief, told bdnews24 the fire completely destroyed camps No. 9, 10 and 12, and blocks B, E and and D of camp No. 11.

Ukhiya Police Station chief Sheikh Mohammad Ali told the news portal the fire left around 12,000 refugees without shelter.