Short circuit may cause fire at Nusrat Tabassum’s house: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said an electrical short circuit could have caused the fire at the ancestral home of National Citizen Party (NCP) Joint Convener and reserved-seat MP Nusrat Tabassum in Kushtia. However, an investigation is under way to determine whether the incident was an act of sabotage.

The minister made the remarks in Parliament on Thursday (12 November).

He said the fire broke out at around 12:20am on Wednesday night at Nusrat’s family home in Bagoan village of Mathurapur Union under Daulatpur upazila in Kushtia. The house is located about 7.4 kilometres from the border.

The semi-concrete, tin-roofed house was unoccupied. Two goats and some household items were kept there. Nusrat’s parents live in a three-storey building about 20 metres away from the house.

The home minister said an additional superintendent of police and the officer-in-charge of the local police station visited the scene after receiving the news. The superintendent of police also visited the site the following morning. Given the location near the border, a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) team was also sent there.

After receiving an emergency call through the national helpline 999, a Fire Service unit was brought from a nearby station and the blaze was brought under control.

Salahuddin Ahmed said a joint investigation team had been instructed to determine whether the fire was accidental or deliberately set. A BGB report found no evidence of a sound resembling a petrol bomb explosion or of the use of a petrol bomb.

He said the house was old and its electrical wiring might have been faulty, making a short circuit another possible cause. However, he stressed that this was only a preliminary assessment.

The minister said two goats died in the fire. Some shoemaking equipment and clothing were also kept in the house.

Investigators have collected photographs and other evidence, including the condition of the walls, as well as audio and video recordings from the scene. Preliminary findings have indicated possible weaknesses in the house’s old electrical wiring, but the cause of the fire cannot be confirmed until the investigation is complete.

The minister assured Parliament that action would be taken against those responsible if evidence of arson or sabotage emerged. A general diary (GD) was filed with Daulatpur Police Station in connection with the incident, and police are investigating the matter.

Earlier, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said any threat to the security of a member of parliament was a matter of concern for the entire House. He urged the home minister to ensure a prompt investigation and brief Parliament on the findings.