At Kushtia press conference
Those who think they can intimidate us will only end up disgracing themselves: MP Nusrat
After inspecting her ancestral home, which was gutted by fire in Daulatpur, Kushtia, reserved-seat MP and National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Nusrat Tabassum said, “Those who think they can frighten us or cause us distress by carrying out such incidents will only end up disgracing themselves.”
Nusrat Tabassum held a press conference in front of her burnt home in Bagowan village of the upazila at 11:00 am today, Thursday. Her father, Abdul Halim, and NCP Central Media Secretary Yeasir Arafat stood beside her.
Nusrat, a reserved-seat Member of Parliament (MP), is also a joint convener of the NCP and a member of the party’s Political Council, its highest policy-making body.
NCP leaders alleged last night that petrol bombs had been thrown at Nusrat’s ancestral home. Following the incident, she left Dhaka for her village home that night. After inspecting the burnt property in the morning, she held a press conference there.
Nusrat Tabassum said, “Following this incident, members of the terrorist Awami League are celebrating on various social media platforms. They believe that such attacks might suppress us, frighten us or cause us immense pain and distress. We want to tell them that over the past 17 years, the people of Bangladesh have witnessed countless incidents like the burning of Nusrat Tabassum’s home. The July uprising of 2024 came as a consequence of what they had witnessed. Therefore, those who think they can frighten us or cause us distress through such incidents will only end up disgracing themselves.”
‘We had been receiving threats for several days’
The NCP leader said, “At around 9.30 pm on 28 October, I received a threatening call from a spam number. I also received several other threatening calls shortly before and after that. On Tuesday, I filed a General Diary (GD) at Kalabagan police station in Dhaka, detailing the entire incident. Even after filing the GD, I continued to receive threats. In particular, three hours before the attack on my home yesterday (Wednesday), a threatening post appeared on the Facebook account of the fugitive president of the banned Kushtia district unit of the Chhatra League. It was essentially a warning and a threat.”
The reserved-seat MP added, “You know that we have never allowed such threats to intimidate us. Had we done so, we would not be where we are today. According to the CCTV footage, four consecutive blasts occurred at my home at 12:15:30 am. Judging by the nature and type of the explosions, it appears that the attack involved petrol bombs. The rest, of course, is subject to investigation. That is why I have not made a definitive statement. However, what happened looks very much like a petrol bomb attack.”
Nusrat Tabassum said the police arrived after she informed them about the incident. They provided security to the best of their ability.
However, even after nearly 12 hours had passed, they had yet to collect any evidence from the scene. She also said that, as Daulatpur upazila has no fire service station, most of the house had already been destroyed by the time firefighters arrived.
‘The house was not abandoned’
At the press conference, the NCP leader said, “As you can see, social media and some mainstream television channels are claiming that the house was abandoned. This house was by no means abandoned. A vulnerable family lived here and had been staying with us for around five to six years. They have become part of our family and looked after this house. I grew up in this house, as did my younger brother. My parents also built their family life here. My grandfather built this house with his own hands, and this is our ancestral home.”
Nusrat added that the property housed a livestock farm. Relatives and the vulnerable family also lived there, and a child from that family sustained injuries in the incident. Several livestock animals died, and nothing remains of the house.
‘This was the work of Awami League’
Nusrat Tabassum said she did not believe local residents were responsible for the incident. The reserved-seat MP said she believed the attack was the work of Awami League, whose activities are currently banned.
Nusrat Tabassum also described the country's law and order situation as “lax”. She said she would file a case at Daulatpur police station over the petrol bomb attack that destroyed her home.