Detroit Free Press
HAMTRAMCK, MICHIGAN, August 22, 2006: (HPI note: Our thanks to a reader who pointed out this story, which had been missed at the time.) Members are still in shock and left scrambling for a place to worship after a fire burned the Hamtramck Bangladesh Hindu Temple to the ground. A steady stream of worshippers flocked to the charred remains of the 3-year-old temple Wednesday afternoon. Only two walls remain after an all-night fire that struck as members prepared for a religious festival in September. “It’s more than a temple,” said Utpal Dutta, 50, of Troy. “It’s a people gathering place. It’s all the people coming together. I feel very sad. The people put so much effort into building this thing, and now it’s down the drain.” Federal investigators said it may take more than a week to know what sparked the blaze that started about 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and took eight hours to control. FBI and U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Department agents joined the probe. “We don’t have any clues yet,” said Hamtramck Fire Chief James Szafarczyk. “I hope we can catch the person, and if it wasn’t a person, what caused this. This could be just an accidental fire.” The Bangaladesh Hindu Temple has a membership of about 200 people. Szafarczyk, temple members and others in the neighborhood said there have been no reported problems in the area. A $5,000 reward is being offered by the Michigan Arson Prevention Committee to anyone with information about the fire.