Home minister denies intent to influence probe as MP Nusrat challenges ‘short circuit’, ‘abandoned’ remarks on house fire

National Citizen Party (NCP) MP Nusrat Tabassum today (15 November) objected in parliament to her Kushtia home, which was gutted in a fire last week, being described as an “abandoned” property and the incident attributed to a possible “short circuit” before the investigation was completed.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed denied any intention to influence the investigation, saying his earlier remarks were preliminary and no conclusive statement had been made.

Raising the issue on a point of order during the 13th parliament session, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Nusrat said premature remarks by responsible officials could influence both the investigation and the subsequent trial.

“I have no grievance about my residence being called abandoned. My question is: clear CCTV footage has reached the media. Those involved in the investigation have also received and seen it, showing people coming out of a house one after another. How, then, can a house be called abandoned?” she said.

She alleged that the term “abandoned” had been used five to six times in parliament in an attempt to establish that the house was unoccupied.

In response, the home minister said the fire broke out in Kushtia at 12:20am on 11 November. When the opposition chief whip raised the issue in parliament the following day, he had provided a detailed account based on information collected from relevant authorities.

He said he had spoken that morning with the director general of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, the BGB director general, the superintendent of police and the district administration.

An investigation committee was formed that afternoon, headed by a deputy director of local government, with a BGB officer of major rank, an additional superintendent of police and an additional director of the Fire Service as members, he added.

The committee was given three days, including Friday and Saturday, to complete its inquiry. Its term ends today, and the report is expected tomorrow, the minister said.

Explaining his earlier remarks, Salahuddin said they reflected a preliminary assessment. Fire Service personnel and others had found no evidence of a petrol bomb at the scene, while an electrical short circuit was considered a possible cause.

“I did not make any final or conclusive comment,” he said, adding that certainty would be possible only after the investigation.

Regarding the CCTV footage, the minister acknowledged that a goat had died in the fire and said he had also heard that a cow was present at the house.

He said he had never claimed that nobody had left the house. He had since watched the footage, which showed a woman carrying a child out of the property.

“These matters are part of the investigation,” he said.

The minister also said a general diary (GD) had been filed with Kalabagan Police Station on the day of the incident. Legal proceedings were under way regarding the case, the GD over telephone threats and efforts to identify those involved in cyber offences.

“Neither I nor anyone in this august parliament makes statements to influence an investigation. Attacks on an MP or on anyone’s life and property should be treated very seriously,” he said.

The speaker said an MP could legitimately fear that an investigation might be influenced and that Nusrat’s remarks were not unparliamentary.

He urged members to wait for the investigation’s findings, noting that the home minister had already initiated the inquiry, and asked Nusrat to remain patient.