Nusrat’s home fire: Heated exchanges in parliament over cause of blaze

A heated debate and repeated uproar erupted in the national parliament over whether a fire at the ancestral home of reserved-seat member of parliament (MP) Nusrat Tabassum was accidental or deliberately set. On Thursday, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed had to suspend his speech for some time because of protests by the opposition.

A fire broke out at the ancestral home of Nusrat Tabassum, a National Citizen Party (NCP) leader, in Kushtia on Wednesday night. The following day, opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed exchanged remarks on the incident twice in parliament. The home minister’s second statement triggered a brief uproar and tension in the House.

Nahid Islam claimed that four petrol bombs had been thrown at Nusrat’s home, setting it on fire. Citing a preliminary investigation report, Salahuddin Ahmed, meanwhile, said investigators suspected that no petrol bombs had been used. It was highly likely to be electrical short circuit due to old wiring. However, he added that the government would take action accordingly if further investigation found evidence of sabotage.

According to Thursday’s agenda, the question-and-answer session was scheduled to be the first item of business. However, at the start of the session, opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam rose on a point of order and raised the issue of the fire at Nusrat Tabassum’s home.

NCP convener Nahid Islam said concerns were growing over the safety of MPs, leaders of the July mass uprising and activists involved in the anti-fascist movement. He said, “Will this government provide any kind of security? If it cannot, let us know.”

Nahid Islam said, “If we have no human rights and if this government remains more concerned about the human rights of our enemies, then we will have to find our own way.”

Saying that it was clear who the targets of the attacks were, he warned the government, “If we are the first targets, they (the BNP) will be the second target. If our families are attacked, their families will also be attacked by the fascist forces. They are that brutal.”

Nahid said four petrol bombs had been thrown at Nusrat’s home in Daulatpur, Kushtia, setting it on fire. He said it was clear who the main targets were in the anarchy and sabotage being unleashed across the country by the ousted fascist forces.

The home minister had said that every crude bomb explosion at Dhaka University could not be described as deterioration in law and order. Nahid asked whether the situation could be described as deterioration in law and order when the home of an MP was set on fire.

The home minister was not in parliament when Nahid Islam was speaking. He arrived a short while later and addressed the matter. The home minister said an investigation has been ordered to determine whether the fire had broken out accidentally or had been deliberately set. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), fire service, administration and police would conduct a joint investigation.

Citing the BGB’s preliminary report, the home minister said the evidence was being assessed in consultation with local residents and law enforcement agencies. No sound resembling a petrol bomb explosion had been reported. No traces of petrol bombs had been found on the walls of the house, and no witness provided any information about petrol bombs. Overall, he said, the current assessment was that petrol bombs had not been used there.

The home minister said that a preliminary examination of all the evidence, including photographs, audio recordings and videos, suggested that the old house had faulty electrical wiring. One photograph indicated that the incident could have been caused by an electrical short circuit. However, he stressed that this was only an assumption and that a full statement could be made after the investigation was finished.

The home minister said a fire had broken out at MP Nusrat Tabassum’s village home, a tin-roofed house semi-concrete house. Her parents lived in a three-storey house about 20 metres away. Referring to the incident, he said nobody lived in the house where the fire occurred. There were two goats and other belongings inside. A general diary (GD) had already been filed over the incident, and police were investigating in accordance with it.

Some time after the home minister’s statement, Nahid Islam stood up again on a point of order after the question-and-answer session had ended. He said the home minister referred to several video clips and a range of information. However, had he watched the video circulating on social media and elsewhere, he would have clearly seen that the entire house burst into flames in an instant because something was thrown at it from outside.

Stressing that Nusrat’s home was not abandoned, Nahid said it was not a place where livestock were kept; people lived there. People were also present on the night of the incident. They could have been killed. Nahid claimed that Nusrat Tabassum had been receiving various threats over the phone for several days and had also filed a general diary (GD). Therefore, he said, these incidents were not isolated.

Commenting that supporters of fascist forces had been celebrating on social media following the fire, Nahid Islam said the Kushtia district Awami League accepted responsibility for the incident. However, he said, the home minister had come to parliament and absolved them of responsibility.

Nahid said he had expected the home minister to announce how many hours it would take to arrest those responsible. “But, unfortunately, he came here in complete denial mode and rejected the incident outright,” he said.

Responding to Nahid’s remarks, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said, “I have made a statement backed by information. An unfortunate incident occurred last night. The honourable opposition chief whip said the fire was deliberately set. Does that mean the investigation is already over?” His remarks prompted uproar from opposition members.

Addressing the opposition, the home minister said, “I would appreciate it if you could please listen while I am speaking. If you wish to speak afterwards, you may do so with the Speaker’s permission.”

The home minister then once again outlined the details of the incident, saying the preliminary investigation had found no traces of petrol bombs. Opposition members again protested loudly. The home minister then said, “If you wish, I can stop speaking.” Several members of the ruling party also responded with counter-protests.

The deputy speaker urged the minister to continue speaking, but opposition members kept up the uproar. The deputy speaker tried to calm them down and drew the attention of the opposition chief whip. However, at one point, the home minister sat down because he was unable to continue speaking amid the noise.

At that point, several NCP members, including Abdul Hannan Masud and Mahmuda Alam Mitu, stood up and continued speaking without microphones. Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal repeatedly asked Hannan Masud to sit down. He said, “The home minister was speaking. Under no circumstances should he be prevented from delivering his statement. Please sit down. You can speak again if necessary.”

The home minister then resumed his speech. As he once again described the incident, he brought up the goats. He said, “Two goats were kept in this house. And the goats...” Opposition members immediately began shouting again.

Mentioning that he has instructed law enforcement agencies to investigate the matter the home minister said, “If petrol bombs were thrown anywhere, there would be traces. You are free to conduct an independent investigation. If the fire was caused in some other way, it can be established after the investigation.”

The home minister said an unfortunate incident had occurred and that if there has been any sabotage or deliberate arson, action would be taken accordingly. If the fire had broken out accidentally, that could be established after the investigation report was submitted, he said. He added that it was not appropriate to make statements blaming the government.

The home minister urged everyone to wait, saying the investigation was under way. “We do not want to blame anyone. If any act of sabotage took place here, or if supporters of fascism were involved in any way, that too will be uncovered. But I do not want to make sweeping accusations, as was the practice in the past, by saying that this person or that person were involved,” he said.