‘Will be doubtful about probe’s impartiality’: Nusrat questions home minister’s remarks on arson attack at her Kushtia home

National Citizen Party (NCP) Joint Convener and reserved-seat MP Nusrat Tabassum has expressed doubts about the impartiality of the investigation into an alleged petrol bomb attack on her ancestral home in Kushtia, following remarks by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed in parliament.

Early today (13 November) in a Facebook post, Nusrat said the home minister’s comments have raised questions about whether the investigation will be conducted fairly.

The incident triggered a heated exchange in parliament yesterday between Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam and the home minister.

Nahid claimed that four petrol bombs were thrown at Nusrat’s house, setting it on fire.

However, citing a preliminary investigation report, Salahuddin said investigators suspected that no petrol bombs had been used.

He said the old electrical wiring made a short circuit a highly likely cause of the fire. He added that the government will take action if further investigation finds evidence of sabotage.

In her Facebook post, Nusrat wrote she and her family have been victims of sabotage and thanked people from different political affiliations and professions who had stood by them.

“Although I will remain doubtful about the impartiality of the investigation after today’s remarks by the home minister,” she wrote. She alleged that the home minister indicated what the investigation report might say while the investigation is still underway.

“If the home minister himself wants the report to be a certain way, who would dare to go against his wishes?” she said.

Nusrat also described the home minister as “completely unsuccessful” in carrying out his ministerial responsibilities.

She wrote that she failed to reach the emergency service through 999 after the fire broke out and had to contact the police personally, while the fire service arrived after three-quarters of the house had burnt, with no equipment to preserve evidence, which was later washed away by water, and forensic experts arrived only 13 hours later.

“If evidence from an explosion is collected this way, how much evidence in cases of rape and murder is lost simply because of a lack of proper preservation procedures?” she asked.

The fire broke out at Nusrat’s ancestral home in Kushtia on Wednesday night (11 November). Five tin-roofed rooms were damaged, and two goats were burnt to death.

Nusrat described the incident as sabotage, suspected a petrol bomb attack, and blamed the activity-banned Awami League for the incident.